The Perfect Life
by RKaarisNK
Summary: Thomas Andrews' daughter, 19 going 20 year old Elizabeth is accompanied by her maid, Clarissa ( Clara ) as they board the Titanic with her aunt, Augustine. Life is perfect for Elizabeth, but when she meets a certain junior officer, she is certain life will get even better. Of course, Clarissa meets someone special of her own. DOUBLE OFFICER FIC!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! So recently ( say a few months ago ) I got into the story of the RMS Titanic! :D The topic intrigues me and so does the movie. Also, just saying that this story is like one of those adorable classic love stories with a little twist because I really wanted to read one but when I finished reading all of them on the site, I thought I might like to write one of my own! It is very different from anything else I've ever written before and I hope that I'm not the only one who likes it xD In case you needed to know, I have written quite a fair bit of the story already so the updates are mainly fuelled by your reviews! Also, this author's note is pretty long so I'm not talking anymore. I hope you will enjoy this story and please review if you did! :D**

10 April 1912

Sitting in the automobile, Elizabeth grinned widely to herself, looking out of the window and anticipating the sight of the grand RMS Titanic. She was excited to board the ship not only to see her father but she always had a particular liking towards the ships and architecture, like her father, so she told herself she would ask him about the ship's structure when she saw him later.

Personally, Elizabeth would have loved to go to nautical school but at the time, women were not highly looked upon and her aunt Augustine would have forbidden her to attend. Her father, however, encouraged her to go but she eventually did not, and settled for admiring the ships as a passenger.

The three of them, unlike many other passengers, were sailing on the RMS Titanic so that her aunt Augustine could boast about it during her parties and cotillions and whatnot. Like most of the other high society women, she cared most about her reputation and pride. It would have been an achievement to even be on the Titanic so she jumped at the chance to go.

Elizabeth's father insisted that his sister took his daughter and her maid with her on the Titanic and Augustine didn't refuse. After all, there were many rich, young men on the ship that she could just marry her off to. 'All for the sake of the family name', she always said, when really? Elizabeth knew it was for the money and title.

"Oh Clara, isn't this exciting? Think about how fascinating the ship is! It is absolutely wonderful from what I've heard. Did you know that it has 24 double-ended and 5 single-ended boilers that-"

Elizabeth was cut off by an annoyed voice, one that belonged to her aunt.

"Elizabeth, stop spouting nonsense that no one understands." Her aunt looked at her with spurn.

Elizabeth frowned but was still looking forward to seeing the Titanic. Their maid who travelling along with them, Clara, just tapped her on the shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. Elizabeth couldn't help but do the same and smile back.

"I'm sorry, aunt Augustine. I just miss my father a lot." She explained. "Well, I can't blame you. Your father is quite the charmer. I can't say I don't miss being around a gentleman like that." Augustine said, giving a icky ladylike giggle.

The automobile slowly came to a stop and they were finally at the dock. Elizabeth put on her best 'proper lady' face as the door opened. She put her hand out and their chauffer, Eric, held it, gently helping her out of the vehicle. Elizabeth smiled and thanked him politely.

As he was helping the rest of them out, Elizabeth stood there looking at the gigantic ship in awe, her mouth slightly gaped open. Elizabeth then felt a firm hand on her shoulder. "Close your mouth and let's go." She heard her aunt sternly say to her.

After many procedures and bribery for baggage check-ins, they were finally on the Titanic. Elizabeth could only hope that this voyage experience would be anything but like the one she had so many years back. She missed her mother so much. She wanted to take along with her her mother's diamond necklace which meant so much to her since it was the first gift her father gave her mother but her Aunt Augustine was bent on pawning it.

Her father couldn't do anything about it, he had already lost his wife so anything else that belonged to her would hurt him too much to keep. All she could do was to live with it and remember her mother only in her memory.

**Have a nice day and please review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! So, I'm just putting up the second chapter now! Also, I'd like to explain why I chose the name 'Elizabeth' as Thomas Andrews' daughter. In fact, in real life, his actual daughter's name is Elizabeth! Elizabeth Law Barbour Andrews to be exact! Her parents used to call her Elba for short if I am not wrong. However, in real life she would have been 2 or 3 years old so I changed up the details. Yes, I changed history xD Another thing I'd like to mention. This story is DEFINITELY NOT 100% historically accurate. Also, as for the officers' watches, I changed them up for the sake of the story so if you came here to learn heaps of knowledge about the Titanic, I suppose you will, but some facts may not be right. Alright! No more blabbering! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did! :D**

10 April 1912

With every steward and member of the ship's crew they passed that her aunt ignored, Elizabeth made up for it with big smiles which were partially because they were finally on the Titanic and she was so excited she could barely contain it. After being guided to their cabins A-32 and 34, Elizabeth and Clara were separated from aunt Augustine as they went to check out the room. Poor Clara shifted between the two rooms until Augustine was satisfied with the room. Elizabeth decided to rest in her stateroom until dinner since they had such a heavy lunch and she never liked the sea. It was strange. She loved everything about the sea, but just dreaded to be in it. It was like a love-hate relationship.

By the time Clara came back to the cabin she shared with Elizabeth, she was sweating. Elizabeth turned and smiled at her and the maid did the same back.

"Clary, I'll be heading out to go find father for lunch, alright? You'd best head over to your own dining hall. There's one for the servants and maids. Who knows? You might meet a handsome young man to sweep you off your feet." Elizabeth said, wrapping her arms around the blonde.

"Liz, stop that rubbish. If anyone were to fall in love, it'd be you. If you hadn't noticed, you are certainly a real head-turner." Clara said, blushing with her usual shyness.

"Hmph. You're no fun to tease. Well, I'll be off now!" Elizabeth said before leaving the room. She was dressed in a light blue dress that was short sleeved. Her brown hair was done up in a bun with two locks of hair framing her face. The only jewellery she wore was a pair of diamond studs on her ears and the only make-up she had on was the blush on her cheeks.

Not really knowing where to start, she wandered along the Promenade Deck. Elizabeth was happy exploring the ship when she saw a young boy no older than 6 run down the deck, with a panicked face. He was dressed in baggy and dirty clothes and she knew at once this boy was from third class, sneaking onto the first-class only Promenade Deck. She inferred that the boy must've been running from the authorities on the ship. She was right, judging by the two stewards running after the boy.

Elizabeth ran forward, stopping the boy. "What seems to be the problem?" She asked the stewards as she picked up the boy. They were panting, pointing to the boy "He...snuck...onto the deck...Miss." One of them said. "Snuck? Well...he's with me." She said. She ignored the boy looking up at her in disbelief.

"O...Oh... In that case, our apologies, ma'am." They said before walking off, pointing fingers at each other, trying to blame one another. Elizabeth then looked back at the boy. "What's your name?" She smiled at him, trying to ease his worries. "D...Danny." He stuttered. "Did you sneak up here?" She asked again, in a gentle tone. He slowly nodded his head as he cast his eyes downwards. "Come on, I'll take you back. F Deck, right?" He nodded his head again.

Elizabeth then walked to the lift, occasionally nodding her head politely at all the other passengers who gave her weird looks. Danny was still being carried by her.

In no time, they reached the hallway where most of the third-class passengers were staying. They heard a faint voice calling out. "Danny! Where are you?" They turned and saw an officer at the end of the hallway. Looking down at the boy, Elizabeth whispered. "Do you know him?" Danny shook his head and held onto her sleeve.

The officer then ran towards them. She met him halfway. "There you are Danny!" He grinned at him as he gently took Danny from her. Elizabeth let him take the boy as she looked at the officer. She noticed that he had dimples that were absolutely adorable and friendly dark brown eyes. She thought that he was very attractive, but chose not to show her obvious attraction to the officer.

The officer then told Danny how worried his parents were so he put him down and watched him run down the corridor. Elizabeth stood there the whole time, silent. The officer then spun around suddenly and found his face inches away from one of the prettiest ladies he had ever seen. "Oh my, I'm...I'm sorry miss!" He said, immediately backing away.

She giggled, waving her hand to say that it was fine. He looked back up at her and whispered, "Not to imply anything, but may I ask what you are doing here in the third class hallway? You certainly don't look like you're from here."

"I came to bring the boy back down. He was being chased by stewards so I covered for him." Elizabeth's eyes widened and she cupped a hand over her mouth. "What's wrong?" the officer asked, concerned. "You're not telling on him, are you?" She replied, putting her hand on her chest.

"No. His mother was worried so she asked me to find her son for her." He said, not shifting his gaze from her brown eyes. For a moment, the two of them stood there, looking into each other's eyes when suddenly she shook her head. "How rude of me. I'm Elizabeth Andrews, but call me Liz." She smiled at him, holding a hand out.

"Sixth Officer James Moody, but call me Jim." he smiled back, shaking her hand. Another awkward silence hung in the air. Elizabeth reluctantly took back her hand from the dashing officer as she spoke up. "Do you know where I might find Mr. Thomas Andrews, the shipbuilder?"

"He's having lunch with some of the passengers. Would you like me to escort you there?" Jim asked, putting out his arm. Elizabeth simply hooked hers on it and gave him another one of her lovely smiles. "That would be nice."

They talked as they walked. "I know it's none of my business but why are you looking for Mr. Andrews?"

"He's my dad."

"O...Oh..." He said, surprised.

Through small talk and lame jokes, they got to know each other a little bit better. Jim found out that Elizabeth was a fun person to be around and wasn't anything like all of the other stuck up first class girls he knew and she likewise found out that Jim wasn't like any of the stern officers she had met before on other ships.

The only other man she had ever met that was so open and comfortable to be around was her father and likewise for the young officer. They wanted nothing more than to talk the whole day away but they did have responsibilities to be taken care of.

The two enjoyed each other's company as they strolled to the dining hall. When they reached the entrance, Jim pulled back his hand. Elizabeth noticed as she looked at him with a mix of disappointment and confusion.

"I try not to go in there if I can help it. Lowest ranking officer here, so not much reason to go in." Jim said sadly. "Will I see you again?" She asked, matching his tone of voice. Jim then smiled again. "Meet me on the bridge deck after dinner at 8." He whispered before he tipped his hat politely and walked off.

Elizabeth smiled to herself before walking into the somewhat empty restaurant after the friendly stewards helped her to open the door. She scanned the room before she found who she was looking for. Her father was at a table with a man she recognized as the White Star Line's chairman, Mr J. Bruce Ismay and four other people she had never seen before.

She walked over and while they were silently eating, she covered her father's eyes. Thomas Andrews put his utensils down and removed the pair of hands. He turned and smiled brightly. "Elizabeth!" He said as he got out of his seat to give his daughter who he had not seen in almost a year a warm hug.

He towered over her as he gave her a tight hug. She let her head rest on his chest for a few seconds before he let go. He looked at everyone at the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce my lovely daughter, Elizabeth." He said her name with pride.

The man seated diagonally across her father stood up upon seeing her and introduced himself. "Caledon Hockley. Pleasure to meet you." He walked over to her and bowed, kissing her hand for much longer than needed. Elizabeth merely gave him a polite smile. Caledon then returned to his seat. His eyes did not leave her even after he was seated.

A rather plump lady stood up next. "I'm Margaret Brown. But Molly's fine too." Elizabeth knew she would like this woman. She purposely smiled a little wider. Her father then introduced her to the remaining two women at the table. "That would be Mrs Ruth DeWitt Bukater and her daughter Rose." Rose gave Elizabeth a small smile but her mother simply continued to sip her drink silently.

"Well I shall not bother you all any more. Father, I hope that you will have time to stop by my cabin." She smiled at him and everyone else before leaving the room. They were an alright bunch, except for that Caledon Hockley who gave her strange looks the whole time she was in the restaurant.

**Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys... So I saw that quite a few people read the story :D But I have only one small request. Can y'all review? It doesn't take very long! Just a short review :3 Haha, I sound really desperate. Nevertheless, I update and continue to write because I love writing so...yeah. Hopefully, I made someone else's day out there by updating :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did! :D**

Elizabeth returned to her stateroom and chatted with Clara for a little over half an hour before she heard a knock on the door. Elizabeth left the bed to open the door and found none other than Mr. Andrews himself standing there, smiling at her.

As soon as he came into the room and shut the door, Elizabeth jumped up and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I really missed you, daddy!" she said cheerfully. After a long time, she finally released him.

He turned and saw a certain blonde maid. "Clara!" He smiled as he gave her a tight hug. She had been taking care of Elizabeth so long she was almost like family. "I missed you as well, Mr. Andrews." Clara smiled, patting the older man's back.

"Daddy? We're going to dinner together, right?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes sparkling. "Of course, sweetheart." He smiled at her warmly before kissing her on the forehead. The pair of father and daughter sat down on the edge of her bed and started to talk. He placed his hand on hers.

Finally as the conversation started to end, Elizabeth asked him something. "Daddy, can I invite someone to dinner tomorrow night?"

"Sure. Anyone I know? Come on, tell me who's the lucky lady joining us." He asked, smiling widely.

"It's a he, actually...and he's sixth officer Ji...James Moody." Elizabeth said, looking away, embarrassed.

Her father's face froze. "Moody, huh." He nodded as he said through his teeth. "Why? Is there anything wrong with him?" She asked suspiciously. Thomas merely shook his head. "Feel free to bring him along. Which reminds me, lend Clary one of your dresses. She's been working so hard, that poor dear deserves a good dinner." Elizabeth grinned at the thought of having someone else to talk to at the dinner table.

They laid on the bed, Thomas' arm wrapped around his darling daughter. He took out his pocket watch and opened it. There was a picture of him, Elizabeth and his late wife. Liz was only 5 years old at the time and that was when his wife was still alive. The two of them looked at the picture together and laid there, softly crying and comforting each other.

A little after that, Thomas got up and gave her a warm hug before he left to see his sister-in-law Augustine, but not before giving his daughter another kiss on the forehead.

"So, I overheard that you're inviting someone to dinner tomorrow night." Clara smiled at Elizabeth, trying to lighten the mood. "Oh, bug off Clary and help me pick a dress already!" Elizabeth said, flustered as she walked quickly to the wardrobe that Clara had filled up earlier that day. After almost an hour of trying on dresses, Elizabeth finally decided on one with a tight waist. It would show her figure off and since she was seeing Jim later, she wanted to look her best.

"Clary, would you come over here for a while?" Elizabeth said, still admiring the beautiful dress she held up in her hands. The maid quickly walked over. "What do you need, Liz?"

"You, my friend, are coming along with us to dinner this evening. My father's orders. Now, seeing as pretty as you are, picking out a dress for you should be an easy task..." Liz said, flinging her dress onto the bed to look for a dress for her maid. Clara chose not to argue with Elizabeth because she knew that when Liz set her mind to something, she would not give up until she got what she wanted.

Clara looked at the dress that Liz picked out for her and she looked at it in awe. It was so beautiful she did not feel worthy of wearing it since she was just a maid but maybe it would be nice to wear such a pretty dress for one night.

"So...who is this...Officer James Moody I heard about?" Clara asked while putting the two dresses at one side. Elizabeth heart beat faster just at the mention of his name. "He's...an officer I met earlier today." She said slowly, sitting down on the edge of the bed again.

Clara sat next to her. "Is he handsome?" She asked, grinning. "Simply charming, Clary." Elizabeth said giggling. "Oh yes! Clary, you cannot tell a soul about what I am about to tell you." Her face was serious. Her maid nodded. "After dinner, I'm meeting Officer Moody."

"WHAT!?" Clara shouted just as Elizabeth clamped her hand over her mouth. "Shush!"

"But what will I do without you?" Clara asked, nervous at the thought of being surrounded by people she normally worked for. She knew the Andrews family was so different from others in their society so she certainly did not want to deal with anyone else but them.

"You could wander the deck. Who knows? You might meet someone 'special' as well, Clary!" Elizabeth laughed, raising her eyebrows cheekily. Clara blushed before walking away, but not before throwing a pillow at her friend's face.

After a few hours of talking, there was a knock at the door yet again. Elizabeth opened it to see her father standing there, smiling at her. "What brings you here daddy? I'm sure it's too early to be dinner." She laughed. "I'm here to take you on a tour of the ship, silly!" Elizabeth smiled and took his hand and they both waved goodbye to Clara.

They walked up to the wheelhouse first to meet the captain and the various officers. It was purely coincidental that they were having a meeting with all the officers present. Knocking on the door first, Thomas looked in and saw Captain Smith talking to his crew. "Ah, Mr. Andrews, you're here." He said with a smile, welcoming the shipbuilder. When Jim and Elizabeth made eye contact, he smiled at her and she winked back at him secretly which only made his smile wider.

"Liz, this, as you already know, is Captain Edward J. Smith." They shook hands and exchanged words of greeting.

"This is chief officer, Henry Wilde." Thomas introduced. "Pleasure to meet you, miss Elizabeth." He said politely, taking off his hat before bowing. "Thank you, but Liz is fine." She smiled.

"First officer, William Murdoch." The stern looking man gave Elizabeth a friendly grin and tipped his hat while bowing.

"Second officer, Charles Lightoller." "Nice to meet you." He said, giving her a small smile. He removed his cap and bowed deeply.

"Third officer Herbert Pitman." The man only bowed and didn't even smile. Elizabeth just grinned lightly before moving on.

"Fourth officer Joseph Boxhall." He smiled and tipped his hat. She nodded her head politely.

"Fifth officer Harold Lowe." He bowed down and kissed her hand, to which she giggled lightly at. She swore she could've seen Jim glare at him for a second there.

"Finally, sixth officer James Moody, but I suppose you two have already met." They both smiled at each other and shook hands, not breaking eye contact. Even after the handshake, their gaze did not break away. Thomas himself had to step in. "Ahem!" He cleared his throat. The two jumped back, chuckling and giggling a little.

After some small talk among the Captain, Thomas and Elizabeth, the shipbuilder led his daughter out to walk about on the boat deck. "How many lifeboats are there?" Elizabeth asked, looking at the white boats on deck. "There are 20. Apart from the 14 you see here," he pointed to the lifeboats she was looking at "there are 2 other emergency boats and 4 collapsible lifeboats. Capacity wise, it could fit 65, 40 and 47 people respectively." He informed her kindly.

Elizabeth was silent for a while. "Wait...But with the number of lifeboats times the capacity of the respective boats...should this ship sink, there would only be enough spaces on the boats for a little over half the people on board." She pointed out after calculating an estimate.

"While I do applaud your calculation skills, it's no cause for worry for your pretty little head. After all, this ship is unsinkable!" Thomas smiled, gently patting his daughter on the head. "Come on daddy, you know better than anyone that there's no such thing as an unsinkable ship." She looked up at him knowingly. "All right, all right. I concede." He put his hands up to his chest level in mock surrender. "Oh, stop it." She giggled, dragging him along.

**Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey All! I am back :D How are you all doing this fine day? Haha so the fourth chapter is now officially up! Thanks to the two guests who reviewed, although next time it 'd be better if you reviewed in an account so I can properly thank you~ This chapter is longer than the previous ones and from here on, the chapters will only get longer! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did! :D**

After what seemed like forever, it was finally time for dinner. Elizabeth put her hands on the bed post and waited for Clara to tighten her corset. With every pull, Elizabeth groaned in pain. All she could think of was how good she would look in the damn dress later when she met Jim again. Clara did eventually help her put on the corset and the dress. The real problem came when Clara had to put on her dress. Elizabeth had no idea at all how to help her with the corset and dress so she called one of the female stewards for help. Watching carefully, Liz learnt how to tighten a corset. She would need practice but at least she knew the basics.

The girls then did each other's hair. Elizabeth put her hair up in a bun as per normal but she placed a band of pearls around the bun to make herself look even better. She traded in her diamond studs for a pair of dangling earrings, diamond as well. After dolling herself up, she started to work with Clara.

Elizabeth managed to talk Clara out of putting her hair up in a bun since the look was all she ever wore. Elizabeth let Clara's hair down and accessorised her hair with a beautiful butterfly pin. Complete with her long wavy hair, she was simply gorgeous.

"You're very pretty Clary!" Elizabeth exclaimed, proud with her work. The blonde, as usual, only blushed.

After they were done, there was a knock at the door. Elizabeth climbed over the bed and opened the door to see her father standing there. "You two are extremely beautiful." Thomas smiled at the girls. "Where is aunt Augustine?" Elizabeth asked, looking around him. "She left for dinner a while ago with another gentleman." He answered.

"Ready to leave?" Thomas asked as he held his hand out. Elizabeth went over to Clara and linked her father's arm with hers and pushed them along, out of the cabin.

While walking to the dining hall, Clara felt out of place but Thomas politely whispered words of encouragement which definitely helped. Elizabeth followed behind them, smiling at those who walked past her.

On the way, someone walked beside Elizabeth. She turned and saw none other than Mr. Caledon Hockley who she had met earlier. "Good evening, Miss Andrews." He said politely, kissing her hand which he lifted up. "And to you, Mr. Hockley." Elizabeth said. She felt uncomfortable around Caledon Hockley and the looks that he threw her way was not in any way making her feel better.

"May I have the pleasure of escorting a beauty like yourself to dinner?" He said smartly, putting out his hand for her. It was rude to say no so she just linked her own with his. "Where is your fiancée Rose?" Elizabeth asked, looking around. "She...is being escorted by someone else." He replied, his smile faded a little bit.

Elizabeth then kept her mouth shut and occasionally nodded as he proceeded to talk about his various achievements and his life so far in. Personally, she wanted him to shut up but it would be impolite to say it out loud so she tolerated it.

They finally reached the dining hall and as they sat down at their usual table, Elizabeth noticed an extra face at the table, sitting next to Molly Brown. Clara sat in between Thomas and Elizabeth. To Elizabeth's right was Caledon. Clara chose to keep to herself most of the time, being an incredibly shy person. She felt very uncomfortable in her dress and corset but bore with it.

After many introductions and a meaningful speech given by the stranger, Elizabeth found out that he was a third-class passenger named Jack Dawson. He seemed nice enough. They would later have many friendly conversations with each other during the dinner.

Throughout the dinner, Caledon kept his eyes fixed on Clara. She intrigued him. She was so beautiful, even more so than Elizabeth or Rose ever was. He kept trying to find out more about her, including her in conversations or even starting private ones with her, however she merely brushed them off casually.

A while later, as dinner was coming to an end, Elizabeth leaned forward to talk to Thomas. "Father, may I have a look at your pocket watch?" He gave it to her for a while and she saw that it was 10 minutes to 8pm. "If you will excuse me, I am not feeling too well so I would like to get some fresh air." Elizabeth said before nodding her head politely then leaving. "I...I will accompany my lady. Excuse me." Clara curtsied to those at the table before brisk walking to go after Elizabeth. She seemed to notice as Caledon's eyes followed her out of the door but she did not think much of it.

As Elizabeth walked through the halls, Clara caught up with her. "Please wait, Miss!" She cried, not being able to keep up. Clara was not used to wearing heels no matter short they might be.

Elizabeth simply chuckled before walking out onto the deck, her friend next to her. The unforgiving icy winds bit at their skin and they immediately regretted not bringing out their coats. Clara suggested they go back in to grab their coats but Elizabeth obstinately said no, as there was a high chance that she would miss the meeting.

Looking around, she spotted two men in uniform talking beside the railing. She suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw that one of them was Jim. He was chatting with another officer and his back was faced towards her. "I'm going in." Elizabeth whispered to Clara.

Walking towards them, she covered Jim's eyes with her cold hands. "Guess who?" Jim gently removed her hands and turned to see Elizabeth. "Nice to see you didn't forget, Liz." He said, breaking out in a wide grin. Clara walked up next to Elizabeth.

"This is my friend, Clara. Jim, Clara, Clara, Jim." She quickly introduced. The maid and officer shook hands politely.

Clara then looked around him and saw another officer. "Oh, yes! This would be fifth officer Harold Lowe." Jim said, making hand gestures. "Call me Harry." He shook her hand, flashing her a charming smile.

"Clara, was it? I'm sorry but I will have to steal your friend for a while." Jim said, a hand on his heart. Clara shook her head slightly, saying it was okay. Jim beamed as he brought his hand up. Elizabeth gladly took it and they walked away, leaving Clara and Harry alone together.

- Harry & Clara -

As Elizabeth walked away, she turned and gave Clara a look that said 'GO FOR IT'. Clara looked down at her feet and did not dare to look up. To be honest, she thought that Harry was very handsome and was afraid that if she were to look up, her whole face would be red as a tomato.

Harry thought that Clara was one of the prettiest women he had ever met. And he knows many women. He easily towered over her, being almost a foot taller than her. He bent down a little to look at her face and politely said "Shall we walk?" Clara looked up and was met with a pair of gentle brown eyes. She gave a small smile before nodding a little.

- James & Elizabeth -

"How has your time on the RMS Titanic been so far?" Jim started. "Alright, I guess. I mean, I love ships and all, but I guess being among the first-class people really takes it out of you." She sighed.

"I know what you mean. First-class people aren't really that easy to talk to." Jim said, without thinking. Elizabeth smirked at him. "So I'M not easy to talk to? I'm hurt Jim, I really am." She said, faking sadness. Jim laughed "You know I didn't mean you." They stayed silent for a while before he broke the silence once more.

"So...how is the first-class life anyway? Fancy living it up?" Jim asked, curious. "Oh, nothing much. It's not nearly as fun as what you think. Nothing but shoving your nose in the air and acting stuck up all the time." She answered, sighing. "You mean like this?" Jim asked again, but lifting his chin so high up he was practically looking up at the sky.

Elizabeth giggled, before walking in front of him, putting her hands on both his cheeks to pull his face back down. They were staring directly into each other's eyes. Jim leaned forward, his lips almost touching hers when she turned her face to the side, making his lips barely brushing past her cheek.

"Not so fast, Jimmy. We've only known each other for a day." Elizabeth grinned at him, not wanting to embarrass him. His cheeks slowly turned a light shade of pink. "You're blushing!" She gasped, pointing at his cheeks. "No I'm not!" He said, quickly holding his cheeks in his hands. "Yes you are!" She giggled again before strolling off happily. Jim took a moment to notice how cute she was but immediately ran after her. "I really wasn't!"

- Harry & Clara -

So far they had walked halfway across the deck but none of them had spoken. Clara had Harry's warm coat wrapped around her as he had offered it earlier. "You don't talk very much, do you?" Harry asked, intrigued by her silence. Most women he knew would ramble nonstop but this one lady said not a word. Clara shook her head. "Does it bother you?" She asked meekly.

Harry laughed. "No, it doesn't. It's just unusual, you know? Most women I know talk without any reservations but you...you are a very interesting lady." Clara couldn't help but blush a little. "Thank you?" She said, looking up at him for the second time that evening.

"I like you." He muttered under his breath. Clara's head snapped up, looking straight at him. "What?"

"I didn't say anything." He said calmly. "But you said something!" Clara said louder, a set of pearly white teeth showing as her smile widened. "No I didn't." Harry said again, looking around, pretending not to hear her.

Clara started to laugh, before she quickly cupped her hands over her mouth and stopped walking. "What's wrong?" Harry asked concernedly, looking at the direction she was looking in. His eyes widened as well. They saw Jim leaning down towards Elizabeth and at that angle, they would have assumed that the two were kissing.

Harry chuckled "Oh Jimmy, my boy." He said as he shook his head playfully. "Come on now, let's give those two some privacy." Harry continued as he place his hand on the small of her back and gently turned her around before walking again.

"You have a very lovely laugh." He commented and Clara couldn't help feeling her heart skip a beat.

- James & Elizabeth -

The two, as usual, were laughing and talking. Elizabeth reached into the sash tied onto her dress and pulled out a silver pocket watch. "Oh my! It's already half past 10! Aunt Augustine is going to let me have it this time." Elizabeth said. "Let me escort you back to your room." Jim asked politely. Elizabeth just smiled.

"So why do you have a pocket watch? As far as I know, women don't carry such things." Jim asked curiously. "No one knows I have it. I keep it with me all the time so I'm never late. Except for tonight. But, I'm not like most women, am I?" She answered, laughing. He laughed along as well. "You are one of a kind, Liz." Elizabeth blushed a little.

After a while, they finally reached the room. "Jim, I would like to invite you to dinner tomorrow with us at 7. Can you make it?" Elizabeth asked with pleading eyes. "I'll have to swap watch shifts with someone but I'm sure it should be just fine." He said, smiling back at her. She was so happy she immediately gave Jim a tight hug, wrapping her arms around his neck.

As soon as Elizabeth realised what she was doing, she broke away immediately. "Sorry." She said, blushing. Jim leaned down and kissed her cheek again. "Good night Liz." He said before walking away. Elizabeth touched the place on her cheek he kissed which was on fire and whispered "Good night Jim." before walking back into the room. Strange enough, Clara was not back yet.

- Harry & Clara -

They stood outside her cabin at 11pm. "I have some time tomorrow before my shift at around 10am. Would you care to meet me on the bridge deck then?" Harry said, smiling down at Clara. "Alright. Till we meet again." She said, grinning as well.

As Harry walked away, Clara ran back to him. "Wait! I...have to tell you something." She said nervously. "I'm...not a high class lady like miss Elizabeth or anything. I'm just a...lowly maid." Clara said, frowning and her eyes found her feet again. She expected Harry to scoff and walk away but he surprised her.

Harry held her hands and leaned down to look at her. "I wouldn't even care if you were a steward or a cashier at a restaurant." He said before leaning in fully to kiss her lips. Clara was shocked at first but kissed him back as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her hands were thrown over his shoulders.

After a long, passionate kiss, they finally pulled apart. They were lightly panting as Harry spoke up. "Tomorrow morning at 10 on the bridge deck, right?" Clara nodded, now fully blushing. Harry laughed and gave her another sweet kiss on the lips before seeing her go back into the room then leaving for his midnight shift.

Clara opened the door quietly and wanted to sneak in but she saw Elizabeth sitting on the edge of her bed. "Clary! Where were you?!" She exclaimed. "I...was with Harry." Elizabeth's eyes sparkled as she ran up to her. "Clary! What did you two do?! Did you two kiss?" She asked eagerly. Clara slowly nodded, embarrassed.

"Oh, my Clary has finally grown up!" Elizabeth said happily before jumping up and down in excitement. "Come on Liz, let's just get you ready for bed!" Clara said quickly before dragging her to the bathroom, thoroughly humiliated.

- In James' Room -

There was a knock at the door before Jim shouted "Come on in!"

The door opened and he saw Harry leaning against the door frame, smirking. "Why are you smiling at me like that? I don't like it." He said, furrowing his brows.

"I saw you kissing Elizabeth." Harry said, walking into the room. Jim blushed a little. "We...I..." He was at a loss for words. "Never thought I'd see the day you grow up, Jimmy-boy." Harry said before walking over to the bed and ruffling his hair.

Harry turned and was about to leave when Jim spoke up. "Wait! Harry! Can I ask you for a favour?"

"What kind of favour? Because I don't normally swing that way." Harry said. Jim laughed. "Not that way, you idiot! Can I switch shifts with you tomorrow? I'll take your noon to four and you take my four to eight."

"And why?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes. "Ah...you're meeting Liz again, aren't you?" He said, looking at him knowingly. "Yes. Now will you help me or not?" Jim said impatiently. Harry chuckled. "Alright Jimmy. Nights." He said before leaving the room.

Honestly, Harry was pretty happy switching watches with Jim. That would mean he would have more time to spend with Clara tomorrow afternoon.

The four of them laid in their bed that night, looking forward to their respective meetings the next day.

**Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**So...I'm not sure if there's anyone out there actually 'reading' the story but I'm just updating because I felt like it :) Also, I would like to take time off to wish Officer Harold Godfrey Lowe ( the actual guy in real life ) a happy birthday. I will say more on the matter at the end of the chapter. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did. :)**

Clara woke up before sunrise like she normally did. After freshening up and putting on her usual maid uniform, she tied her hair up in a bun and picked out a dress and corset for Elizabeth to wear for breakfast. Laying the set out on one of the couches, she picked up one of her favourite books and started to read.

A little after half past 8, Clara went to Elizabeth's side to wake her up. She gently shook her shoulder a couple of times before she started to stir. "Mmhm...Clary?" Elizabeth said groggily, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Your aunt Augustine came in a while ago. She told me to wake you."

After much persuasion and pillow throwing, Elizabeth finally got out of bed to wash up. After Clara finished helping Elizabeth into her dress. Elizabeth was at the vanity table where she was putting on some very light blush. "Say, Liz? Would you lend me your make-up should I need it one day?" Clara asked, shyly. "Clary, that's what I've been offering you the day you started working for us!" She laughed.

Then, there was a knock at the door. Elizabeth told Clara that she would get it and got up from the table.

She saw her father standing there, flipping through his notebook. "Good morning, daddy." Elizabeth laughed, putting a gloved hand over the page he was on. "O...oh, good morning sweetheart. Ready for breakfast?" Thomas grinned, lifting his arm for her to hold.

Elizabeth reminded Clara to get her own breakfast before going to the dining hall with her father. Breakfast for the father and daughter were fairly uneventful, mostly full of Bruce Ismay and his big ego. However, Caledon Hockley and his fiancée, Rose, were both there but Caledon paid little attention to her and spent most of his time at breakfast trying to start up a conversation with Elizabeth.

Clara looked at the clock in the stateroom after reading for a few hours. She skipped breakfast as she was so engrossed but she just told herself she could go without one meal. It was fifteen minutes to 10 and she was excited to see Harry in a while.

She looked at herself in the mirror then looked down at the blush Elizabeth had been using less than 5 minutes ago. She thought 'why not look pretty for a day? after all, you're meeting Harry...' Boldly, Clara put some light blush on her face and topped it off with a pale pink lipstick.

Clara then looked down at her uniform. Even though he said he didn't mind, it would be so embarrassing if Harry were to be caught by another officer with some maid. She then had an idea. Taking off her white hat and her white apron, she smoothened out her dress. She didn't look half bad. Deciding that she was presentable enough, Clara left the room, leaving Elizabeth a note that read _'Out to the library!'_

Elizabeth came back from her meal and fiddled with her dangling earrings to attempt to take them off. She walked around the room and saw the note Clara left her. Elizabeth smiled knowingly before going to her father's cabin instead to carefully study one of the ship's blueprints that she had borrowed from her father earlier.

- Clara -

Clara nervously walked onto the bridge deck and sat on one of the wooden benches, bringing along her one of her many books, which she was reading just now in the stateroom. Clara continued from one of the pages she book-marked earlier.

Suddenly, there was a shadow cast on her. She looked up and saw none other than the dashing Officer Lowe. "Good morning, Clara." He said, smiling as he bowed down to kiss her hand. Clara simply smiled before muttering a sweet but quiet 'good morning' as well.

Harry took a seat next to her and looked over at the book she was reading. "Sense...and Sensibility." He read aloud. She immediately hid the book behind her back, embarrassed to be seen reading romance novels. Albeit it was normal for women to read such novels, it was weird reading them in front of the man she loved. Loved? She didn't know what to make of their relationship at all.

"You don't need to hide it. It's fairly normal to read Jane Austen." Harry laughed. Clara's eyes widened. "You read Jane Austen?" On her plain book cover, it only said that the author was 'a lady' but avid readers would know it was just a pseudonym Jane used. Harry started to blush but kept his cool. "One of my guilty pleasures that the other officers never let me live down."

Clara laughed before she spoke. "I don't suppose we'll be sitting on this bench making small talk about Jane Austen all day, are we?" That was probably the longest sentence Harry ever heard Clara say. "Are you hungry, by any chance?" He asked.

As if planned, her stomach started to growl. It was so embarrassing! Harry, being a gentleman however, did not say anything, but stood up and grabbed her wrist gently and led her down the deck. "Harry! Where are we going?" She hissed. "You'll see!" He laughed and soon, she found herself laughing along.

Through endless corridors, they reached an empty room with a few tables and chairs and a separate table with many silver trays on them. "This would be the officers' mess hall." Harry clarified. He released her wrist and pulled out a chair for her.

She giggled and sat down. "And what would you like today, Miss?" He asked, faking a snobby accent. "Anything's fine, Harry." Clara smiled up at him. "Right." He beamed as he leaned down to kiss her cheek and proceeded to get her some food.

After a long time at the table eating and many instances of playing around with their food, Clara and Harry were finally done eating. He was the first to stand up and he put his hand out to help her up. After washing up their dishes, they were prepared to go out to the library to read together, since they both found out they shared an interest in books. They even found out each other's full names. Harold Godfrey Lowe and Clarissa Elsie Hayes.

- James -

James was walking out onto the deck in his full officers' uniform, gloves and all. He met Charles Lightoller up there. "Where's Harry? Don't tell me I'm stuck with you." He asked jokingly, looking around. "Sorry to disappoint you Lights but I'm all you've got." Jim laughed along.

"Oh, goody." Charles replied, feigning sadness. "Oh well. You're fetching captain's tea. I'm off to go on my rounds. Cheerio." He commented before walking off.

- Clara -

Clara and Harry had fun in the library, reading books and annoying the librarian. Time past so quickly and it was already 3 in the afternoon. Harry escorted her back to the room to prepare for his shift and maybe get in half an hour's worth of sleep.

"So I shall see you again tomorrow, Clary?" Harry said, giving her his charming smile. Clara beamed and nodded happily. He laughed and brought his lips down to kiss her very passionately and VERY deeply. By the time they parted, they were both gasping for air. They laughed and as soon as she went into the room, Harry went the other way, his grin never leaving his face. "See you later."

Clara was practically radiating happiness even after she stepped into the room. As she was putting on her apron and hat again, the door swung open. Startled, she quickly turned and saw a furious aunt Augustine. "Lady Augustine!" She gasped. "Clara. I saw your little 'show' in the hallway just now, and I- is that MAKE-UP you're wearing? And is that Elizabeth's?" She was fuming mad and backhanded Clara so hard that she fell back onto the chair.

"How dare you smear the Andrews family name! You are already a very lucky lady just to even be our maid and you are a familiar face among other families! Did you even stop to think what might happen if someone else saw you and that boy kissing?" Clara looked down at her feet, not daring to even speak.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, you harlot!" Augustine then roughly grabbed Clara by the chin and forcefully turned her face to look at hers.

"Listen up! I forbid you from leaving this room until this ship docks! If I find you stalking the hallways, no matter the reason, you WILL regret it!" Augustine shouted sternly before storming out of the room, leaving Clara behind, crying.

**...Continuing my little information : Officer Harold Lowe was born on 21 November 1882 in Eglwys Rhos, Caemarfonshire, North Wales. When the RMS Titanic sank in 14/15 April 1912, he ( after redistributing the survivors in the group of lifeboats he had gathered ) returned to the site of the sinking to facilitate rescue to other survivors, still in the water. Even if he picked up only four men, the action of him going back when no one else did was very brave :) Today, a slate plaque in Officer Lowe's memory was hung on the centennial anniversary of Titanic's sinking in Barmouth, Gwynedd. It reads : **

**In Commemoration of local hero 5th officer Harold Godfrey Lowe who left Barmouth aged 14 to go to sea. He played a heroic role in the rescue of survivors during the sinking of RMS Titanic on 15th April 1912.**

**Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! How have you guys done since yesterday? :D I don't know why I'm updating this often. I'm just really excited to get this story out there! See you guys at the end of the chapter! :3 I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did. :)**

Elizabeth looked at the blueprints again and again until she knew the ship's structure like the back of her hand. She rolled up the blueprints and put them to one side before leaving the room at about 6 in the evening to ready herself for dinner. She expected Clara to be back by then.

Opening the door to the stateroom which lights were all switched off, Elizabeth heard soft sounds of sobbing. She flicked on the light switch and saw Clara in her bed, crying. Elizabeth rushed forward and knelt at the bedside. "Clary? What's wrong?" She asked, worry evident in her voice. The blonde maid stayed quiet, little tears falling out of her eyes. Elizabeth knew something was amiss.

She turned her friend over so she was facing the ceiling and was shocked. There was a bruise forming on her cheek. "Clary, how did this happen? Who did this to you?" She asked concernedly. "It's alright. I'm okay Liz." Clara said softly. "Clary, you tell me now or I'm reporting this to the Master-at-arms right this instant!" Elizabeth said sternly, brows furrowed. Clara was still silent.

Elizabeth started to walk away from the bed when a voice pulled her back. "No! I'll...I'll tell you. Just...keep this to yourself, alright?" Clara started to tell her about aunt Augustine and how she forbade her to leave the room as Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed, listening intently.

"That bitch!" Elizabeth couldn't help but yell out. "Liz, please do me one favour. Please go and find Harry and tell him that I can't see him tomorrow. I...I don't want him to see me like this... And tell him how sorry I truly am... But please, don't tell him that I have...you know. This bruise." She pointed to her face as she started to cry again. Elizabeth pulled her into her arms and hugged her tightly before nodding. "Do you need me to bring you back some dinner?" She asked while running her fingers through Clara's hair, trying to comfort her.

"It's alright. I'll call for room service. Come now, let's get you all dolled up. James will be here any minute now." Clara smiled slightly before getting up. Elizabeth had no choice but to go along with it. As soon as her earrings were on, there was a knock at the door. Elizabeth got up and gave Clara a smile, squeezing her hands before opening the door. As expected, Jim was there in his uniform, looking nervous.

"Liz!" He said happily and held his hand out for her. Elizabeth laughed at how adorable he was and put her arm on his and said goodbye to Clara, hoping in her heart that she would be all right.

As they were walking to the dining hall, Jim could tell that Elizabeth was troubled. She wasn't smiling as brightly as before and whenever they weren't talking, she would frown. He told himself he would ask her about it later as they reached the dining hall.

Elizabeth looked around the room before finding their table. They made their way over and people eyed Jim from head to toe, wondering why an officer, especially low-ranking since he was barely recognisable, was here during dinner. Sure the captain and his crew normally came down here for meals but that was normally for breakfast or lunch.

At the table was Thomas, Molly, Bruce, Ruth, Rose and Caledon. Elizabeth sat in between Molly and Jim, who was next to Thomas and then Caledon, Rose, Ruth, Bruce and full circle back to Molly.

Dinner was pretty standard. Jim and Elizabeth kept making inside jokes and kicked each other under the table a couple dozen of times and were having a wonderful time until Caledon asked Elizabeth a question.

"Ms Andrews? Pardon me for asking such a personal question but are you married to anyone? Betrothed in any way?" He asked, looking straight at her. Thomas almost choked on his food. "Not at the moment. But why ask?" She asked, looking at him with confusion. "It's nothing. It's just that...a lovely lady such as yourself should have suitors asking for your hand in marriage standing in line from here all the way to China." He laughed.

It wasn't just Jim, but Elizabeth as well who felt uncomfortable when he said that and she was even more so when she felt a leg slide up and down her own from under the table. Discreetly looking at Jim, she realised slowly that the leg belonged to Caledon Hockley.

She quickly stood up from her seat. "If you'll excuse me, I will be out on deck catching some fresh air." She bowed before picking up her dress and walking away quickly.

Elizabeth was walking out of the dining hall and out onto the grand staircase when she heard quick footsteps from behind her. Thinking it was Jim, she smiled as she turned but it soon faded when she saw that it was Caledon. He took her wrist in his hand and pulled her out onto the cold deck. She didn't bring out a coat the 3/4 sleeve of her dress didn't provide much warmth either.

"Elizabeth, you are beautiful. I've loved you since the moment I saw you. I can give you anything you want and fulfil your every wish and desire. Just do me the honour of being my beautiful wife." He said, taking out a blue velvet box out of his coat pocket and opening it to reveal a shining diamond ring.

Elizabeth was shocked and one of her hands went up to cover her mouth. "It's...it's...so beautiful." She gasped. "Yes. Just like you." He said quickly as he took the ring out and was about to slide it onto her finger when she pulled back as if she had just been burnt. "Wait! You're engaged to Rose! What do you think you're doing by asking for my hand in marriage?" Elizabeth asked, appalled at his behaviour.

Caledon sighed and put the ring back into his pocket. He then moved forward to hold Elizabeth's hands in his. She tried to pull them back but he had quite a firm grasp on them. "Look, Elizabeth, Rose and I aren't getting along very well...Now that I think of it, I'm having second thoughts about our engagement, especially with her attitude and behaviour towards me. But you, you're perfect. Beautiful, polite and most of all, you know where your place is as a woman. I like that about you." He smirked at her, eyeing her up and down.

"Caledon, as flattered as I am by your offer, I just ...don't feel that way towards you. I'm sorry." Elizabeth said, trying to put it as easy as possible then she turned to walk away. She didn't make it far as Caledon pulled her back by grabbing her wrist, but there now was no more reservations. Unlike the gentle touch he used earlier, this one was rough. She tried hard to break free but his grip was so tight that she was sure a bruise was going to form.

"Listen to me. I am perfect. You have nothing to lose by marrying me. I have money and the looks, obviously. You should be honoured!" He spoke to her firmly and fiercely, the gentlemanly air around him vanishing with every word. "Let...go!" Elizabeth continued to struggle. She was about to cry in pain when suddenly, Caledon was pulled from the back, and the shock caused him to let go of her.

They turned and saw Jim standing there, a serious look on his normally jovial face. "I believe Elizabeth told you to let go."

"You, a lowly officer telling me what to do?" Caledon laughed sarcastically. He grabbed Jim by the collar and looked at him furiously in the eye. Elizabeth tried to stop him but he was too strong. It wasn't until murmurs and whispers were heard all over the deck that Caledon stopped as he had his image to think about.

"Count yourself lucky that I'm in a good mood today, Officer." He said to Jim, readjusting his own coat. "As for you, my dear Elizabeth, this isn't the last you've seen of me." Caledon said before walking off, his nose high in the air as usual.

As soon as he left, Jim wrapped an arm around Elizabeth and pulled her to the side. "Oh my God, you're freezing!" He exclaimed as he unbuttoned his overcoat and draped it over her. "Jim, you really don't have to..." She sighed, taking the jacket back off. "It's alright, I'm resistant to cold, see?" He smiled at her, putting the coat back on her. On the outside, he showed no signs of flinching from the unforgiving cold but on the inside he was shivering. But it was all for Elizabeth so the shivers were all worth it.

"Now what?" Elizabeth said, Jim's arm still around her shoulders, holding her close to him. "I have an idea." He said, breaking out into a grin. "Come on!" He said, holding her hand and running down the deck and into the officers' mess hall.

In the mess hall was Charles and Will, chatting while eating their dinner. "Hey Will, Lights." Jim said, nodding at them. They nodded back and let their eyes rest on Elizabeth. "You do know she's not allowed here, right?" Charles pointed out. "Oh just let her off the hook, Lights." Will said, smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Lights, you have a camera, right?" Jim asked. "A Kodak No. 2 Brownie box camera, circa 1910, to be precise." He said, grinning proudly at the mention of his beloved camera. He always had an interest in photography so he bought boxes and boxes of film for the journey on the Titanic.

"Can we borrow it?" Jim asked, giving his sweetest smile. Charles' smile quickly faded into a look of horror. "And why, in the name of God would I let you two have my precious camera?"

"Please? We won't break it. I promise." Jim's face was serious now. Lights rolled his eyes. "Fine. But you are in for it if you do." He said, walking out of the room. Elizabeth and Jim were following behind when Lights turned and looked at them. "Where do you think you two are going?"

"To your quarters to get the camera?" Jim said, puzzled. Lights then burst into laughter. "You...you actually think I'm letting you anywhere NEAR my room? It's fine for Liz but not for you Jim."

"Hey!" Jim said, feigning anger. Elizabeth laughed, looking at his face. He looked like a little boy whose mother refused to get him a train set for Christmas. "We'll wait right here, won't we Jim?" She said, looking at Jim. He sighed before nodding his head.

As Lights went down the hall, Jim and Elizabeth were swinging their hands that were intertwined together as they were walking back into the mess hall where Will was.

"Since when did that happen?" Will asked, pointing his fork at their hands linked together. "Since last night." Elizabeth smiled, giving Jim a little peck on the cheek to which he blushed slightly at. "You're blushing again!" She said, laughing and pointing at his cheeks. Will saw it and started to laugh along as well.

"For the last time Liz, I'm not blushing!" He said, flustered. She continued to laugh until he put both his hands on either side of her cheeks kissed her full on the lips. Elizabeth's eyes widened and Will stopped laughing at once. At first she was shocked but she leaned into the kiss and even kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer to him.

They deepened the kiss and they whispered sweet nothings to each other between several pauses of the kiss. They were so caught up in their kiss they totally forgot Will was there at the table. Will couldn't take it anymore. He had to clear his throat a couple of times before they finally realised that they were kissing in front of Will. They were both blushing profusely and immediately jumped away from each other, thoroughly embarrassed.

At that time, Charles came into the mess hall. Jim and Elizabeth looked like two kids that were reprimanded by their parents. "What's this?" He asked, looking at them.

"They were kissing each other's faces off." Will shuddered at the thought. The second officer couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You two had best be careful. Should any of the other officers see that...let's say they won't take it well." Will reminded them. "Well, I'm here now with my camera." Charles said, shaking it up in the air.

"R...Right. Could you maybe help Liz and I take a picture together?" Jim asked, slowly recovering from his humiliation. Charles nodded. Jim and Elizabeth looked at each other and weren't sure what to do. Jim then walked forward and wrapped his arm around her waist and she, in turn tip-toed to put hers around his shoulder. The photographer smiled against his camera. "Alright. Say Brownie!"

"Brownie!" They both said loudly, smiling widely and happily.

After that, they proceeded to take a dozen other pictures with Lights and Will, serious and goofy ones were included as well. Jack, the Marconi operator, even stopped by when he was on a mini break, while he was on his way to his respective mess hall. More pictures were taken before the radio operator walked off again.

Then suddenly, someone else walked into the room. It was Harry. "What, you're all having fun down here without me?" He laughed. More pictures were taken and more 'Brownie!'s were said.

Elizabeth then looked at the time in her pocket watch and saw that it was close to 10pm. "I'd better start getting back to my stateroom." She said, frowning. She would have loved to stay with these friendly officers a while longer but she shouldn't be leaving Clara alone, what with her bruise and all. Clara and her bruise! She forgot to tell Harry!

"Harry! I forgot to tell you something that's very important!" Elizabeth said, flustered. He looked at her expectantly, wondering what could be so important. "Clara, Clara needs you. She has a huge bruise on her face and...I'm not supposed to be telling you this but she's really messed up now." She said, looking at him with worry in her eyes.

Harry's eyes widened and he took off from the mess hall running after confirming the cabin number. Elizabeth nodded quickly at Lights and Will, to say goodbye and grabbed hold of the ends of her dress and started to run after Harry. Jim looked at the officers and shrugged his shoulders before following the two.

- Clara -

Clara sat on her bed in the stateroom, hugging her legs to her chest. She was dressed in a nightgown ready for bed but sleep didn't come easy for her. It wasn't the fact that aunt Augustine had slapped her that made her sad.

It was more of the fact that she was not allowed out of the room, meaning she could not see Harry for the rest of the journey, and possibly the rest of her life. It would have been easy for her to sneak out of the room but she really respected the Andrews family and she just didn't feel right leaving the room although Augustine told her not to.

Even just thinking about it made her cry. Clara couldn't help it as tears fell from her eyes. She had already been crying for the past few hours so her eyes were puffy and there were tear streaks all over her cheeks.

Suddenly, she heard someone try to open the door by the door handle from outside of the room. Clara thought it was just Elizabeth who forgot to bring out her room key, being the forgetful girl she was so she didn't bother to wipe away the tears. Getting up from the bed, she walked over to the door and opened it. The person she expected to see, however, was not there.

"Harry?" Clara gasped. Her hand instinctively went up to her cheek to cover up her hideous bruise and looked to her feet. Harry's eyebrows were furrowed and he gently took away her hand and was shocked when he saw her face.

"Who. Who did this to you?" He said, eyes widened as he placed his hand on her injured cheek but she flinched as it hurt. "N-no one...I'm fine." She said quickly, taking his hand off her face.

At that moment, Elizabeth appeared behind Harry, Jim not too far away. Clara immediately shifted her gaze to Elizabeth. "Liz! How could you?" She asked, shooting her a hurt look. Elizabeth then looked away from her, biting her lower lip like she always did when she was nervous.

Harry then softly held both Clara's shoulders, pushing her gently back into the stateroom. They looked into each others' eyes."Clary, please. I...I love you and I don't want anything to happen to you...Please, just, tell me what happened." It actually took him quite a lot of courage to say those three words as he had never really meant those words all the other times he's said them, but he knew he should put his nerves away and be more concerned about Clara.

Clara looked away from him. "I'll...I'll tell you when I'm ready." Harry really did want to know what happened and how she got her bruise but he decided that he pried enough for the day. "Alright." He said calmly as he gave her a little smile. Clara smiled back.

Harry wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her long, blonde hair. Clara put her arms round his waist as well, letting her head rest on his broad chest since he was so tall. They stayed in that position for quite a while.

Elizabeth and Jim stood at the doorway, unsure of what to do next. "Come on." Jim said to Elizabeth quietly as he crossed over her and closed the door. She looked at him, confused. Jim beamed at her and held her hand, brisk walking down the hallway. Elizabeth was smiling instantly.

- Elizabeth -

Jim led her down many endless corridors that all looked the same and they finally reached an arch that had a sign on the wall above it. _'CREW ONLY' _He continued walking but she pulled them back, rooting her feet to the ground.

"I don't think I'm allowed here, Jim." Elizabeth said, looking around as her brows furrowed. Jim burst out in laughter. She looked at him weirdly and asked him exactly what was so funny. "I took you to the mess hall just now. You weren't supposed to be there either and look how that turned out."

"Good point." They both beamed before walking down. Elizabeth eventually realised that it was the officers' quarters. The names of the various officers were written on signs which were hung up onto the white wooden doors. She had to stifle giggles at the little doodles on the signs which she could only assume was drawn on by the other officers. Elizabeth was that sure because she was positive that Lights didn't like unicorns or rainbows.

"Let me warn you that it might be a tad bit messy in there so I'm apologising in advance." He laughed, opening his own door. The sign read _'SIXTH OFFICER: MR. MOODY, JAMES**-EY BOY**' _and she couldn't help but laugh even louder. Jim was puzzled so he looked at where her eyes were. "That's just some prank Fleet and Lee pulled on me yesterday." He explained the extra words behind his name.

"Fleet and who now?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "The lookouts. Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee. Annoying buggers, the two of them." He replied as he shook his head. Jim then opened the door to his cabin.

Elizabeth looked around the dimly-lit room. It was fairly small, roughly the size of her stateroom's bathroom. There was a bed with sheets that were not tidied and a desk in the corner of the room with a little light on the table. Undershirts and many articles of clothing lay strewn around everywhere on the chair and the floor, making the place look extremely cluttered.

"It's...cosy." She said, softly grinning. "It's a mess." He corrected her. "I figured you could stay here until Clara and Harry sort it out." Jim said as he hastily picked up all the clothes before tossing them to one side of the room. He then sat on his bed and pat the area next to him. Elizabeth walked over and sat there.

They sat in silence for a while until she spoke up, ready to stand up. "I can't stay here. Daddy might be flexible about what time I get back to the room but he wouldn't be pleased if he found out that I stayed the night in another man's room."

"Well, who says he has to know?" Jim smirked. "My shift starts at 4am tomorrow, I could wake you before I leave." Elizabeth thought about it for a while before smiling along, resting her head on his shoulder. She was quickly dozing off when Jim shook her shoulder. "Come on, let's get you comfortable on the bed."

They readjusted their position and Elizabeth laid on the bed, Jim sitting on the side of it. She looked on as he took off his hat, overcoat and loosened his tie, hanging them up. He then grabbed a tiny pile of clothes and laid them on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, bewildered. "Since you're on the bed, I'm taking the floor." She started to laugh. "Don't be absurd!" She said. "Come up here, Jim!" She insisted. However, he kept telling her it was all right for him to sleep on the floor and things like he was being a gentleman.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes before leaving the bed and laying down on the floor next to Jim, facing him. "What do you think YOU'RE doing?" He asked her this time, looking at her, bewildered. "If you refuse to come up, I'm coming down here to join you." She smirked at him.

"Don't be ridiculous! I can't possibly let you sleep on the floor, Liz." He scoffed. "Then get on the bed with me!" She laughed. He sighed before getting up then reached a hand out so she could take it. He pulled her up and they both got into the bed. Elizabeth rested her head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him.

"I love you." He whispered into her ear. "I love you too." She mumbled, smiling.

- Clara -

"Come on. You must be tired." He said, pulling away just enough to look at her face. Harry wiped away her tears as she smiled and walked her to her bed, helping her into it and pulling the covers over her. He sat on the edge of the bed, right next to her. Clara looked up at him. "Are you leaving?" He laughed softly, pushing away a strand of hair from her face. "You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried, Clary." She giggled a little under the sheets.

Harry stood up and walked over to the other side of the bed and laid next to her on top of the blanket, but not before removing his shoes, overcoat and hat. Clara moved in closer and snuggled up against him. Harry put an arm over her to pull her closer but he was still leaning against the bed frame.

"Sweet dreams, my beautiful Clara." He whispered to her.

**I hope that there was just enough fluff and drama in that chapter :) Like...I don't know. Haha. I'd like to thank Babsi Bunny for your review :) Your English is pretty fine to me :) Haha, anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed reading this chapter! ****Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**I...I don't know. This chapter is the longest so far. It's REALLY LONG. I didn't even know how to break it up! So from 9,000 words it got reduced to 6,000 because I broke it up into two parts. I don't know how this happened! This may be a little too much for you guys to read, I apologise if you couldn't take it all in at once! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did. :)**

-Elizabeth -

Elizabeth slowly blinked her eyes. She was awoken by the sound of the chair being lightly dragged. She was a really light sleeper, so much that the slightest movement could wake her. She rubbed her eyes. This wasn't her bed. Elizabeth then remembered that she had slept in Jim's room the previous night. She looked around the room and saw Jim opposite her with his back facing her, putting on his overcoat.

Elizabeth then very quietly crawled out of the bed and hugged him from behind. He didn't flinch. "Good morning." She said lazily, resting her head on his shoulder. Jim smiled. "Good morning, sleepyhead." He ruffled her hair with one hand and she laughed. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, looking at her. Elizabeth looked up at him and nodded, giving him a peck on the lips.

She then pulled away to put on her shoes and tidied his bed a little, putting the sheets in order. "You know, you don't have to do that." He beamed at her while buttoning up his jacket. "Meh, force of habit." She grinned back, shrugging her shoulders.

Elizabeth then walked over to him just as he finished putting on his shoes and picked his hat up from the desk and gently placed it on his head, looking into his eyes. Jim leaned in and gave her a long, sweet kiss.

When they separated, she went to get her hairpin from the table and casually put her hair up in a bun. She looked over at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that it was 3.45 in the morning. "I'll take you back to your room before I head over for my shift with Will." He said before walking over to the door. She soon followed.

He put a hand up, telling her to hold on as he opened the door and looked around to make sure Chief Officer Henry Wilde wasn't walking around. Unlike Will, Lights and Harry, Henry and the other officers were not as open when it came to allowing a member of the crew to get close to the likes of a passenger.

Once the coast was clear, Jim grasped her hand gently and ran down the corridor, smiling as brightly as she was.

After a long run, they stood outside her stateroom, panting lightly and looking into each others' eyes. When Elizabeth made sure there were no passengers or stewards around, she tip-toed and kissed Jim, smiling against his lips. The officer wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let go. She put her hands on his adorable cheeks, deepening the kiss.

They soon had to break apart and go their separate ways but as Jim walked down the corridor and Elizabeth entered her room, they were sure that the feeling and taste of the kiss would linger on their lips for hours to come.

- Clara -

Clara woke up, not surprised that Harry wasn't beside her. In the middle of the night somewhere, she was sure she felt him leave the bed and give her a gentle kiss on the lips before leaving the room.

She looked over and saw Elizabeth smiling in her sleep and she couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Clara noticed that her bruise was not as bad as the day before and grinned at herself. She changed into her maid uniform, complete with the white bonnet and apron. She went over to the end table next to her bed to pick up her Jane Austen book to read.

- Caledon -

He was having breakfast with Rose and her mother, Bruce Ismay, Molly Brown and Thomas Andrews. Caledon was broken out of his reverie when Molly asked Thomas "Hey Thomas, how's Lizzy doing?" Molly and Elizabeth got along swimmingly and she loved calling the girl 'Lizzy', like a special nickname only she used. "Fine, thank you for asking, Molly. I'm surprised she's doing so well, considering the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Molly asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "When she was just a wee little girl, she and her mother were on a ship as well. Unfortunately, that ship sank and...that's when I lost my wife. She's been terrified of the water ever since." His smile faded as he looked back down at his food, suddenly losing all his appetite.

"I'm so sorry, Thomas." Molly said, patting him comfortingly on the shoulder. He gave her a half-hearted smile and continued to eat, practically forcing himself to.

Caledon on the other hand was more than happy hearing this piece of news. He quickly devised a plan in his head and smirked at it. Should it be a success, it should be enough to let him get what he wants and to break her spirit just enough to comply to his every whim and fancy.

- Elizabeth -

The day passed by fairly quickly. She stayed in the room with Clara, mostly talking about their time on the ship so far, the officers they've met and the places they've seen. They sat on Elizabeth's bed and talked for hours before Elizabeth started to stretch her arms. "You know what Clary? I'm going out for a walk." Clara nodded her head and took her book from the table and started to read where she last left off, now using Harry's note as a bookmark.

Elizabeth, as usual, nodded her head politely at both the crew and passengers. She was walking on the deck then noticed a swimming pool there. She thought it peculiar that there was a pool on the RMS Titanic, especially since the temperature was so low, it was practically freezing!

She looked a little closer and observed that there was a pattern on the floor of the pool. It looked like the logo of the White Star Line, but then again, she couldn't be sure. She leaned a little further and suddenly, she was pushed from behind and fell into the pool.

Elizabeth was horrified. She did not know how to swim and the memories of the ship her and her mother was on sinking came flooding back to her. ( no pun intended ) Under the water, she gasped for air, inwardly screaming for help at the top of her lungs. Her supply of oxygen was swallowed up by the chlorine tasting water.

- Caledon -

He watched as Lovejoy pushed her into the pool, smirking to himself, dismissing the bodyguard. He looked around and saw that people started to walk around this area. He took his time to dramatically make a show out of taking off his jacket, vest and shoes to go in and 'rescue' her.

Caledon was about to remove the last article of clothing when from beside him, someone ran into the pool without hesitating. He ceased all his actions and watched what the man dressed in a navy blue coat was doing. Looking closely, he realised it was none other than Sixth Officer James Moody.

- Jack & Rose -

They were happily walking around the deck, hand in hand when they caught sight of Caledon and Lovejoy near the pool. What they saw next shocked them.

- Jim -

Jim was currently on his watch with Will and since it was a slow day, they decided to take a stroll along the deck, passing by the pool. He suddenly heard the sound of water splashing violently. "Who could possibly be taking a swim when it's this cold out?" Jim said aloud to no one in particular. "If those first-class passengers want to freeze to death, I'd gladly oblige them." Will joked in a low voice.

The two officers walked further and a sight shocked both of them . Jim looked closely and saw a head bobbing up and down in the water. He quickly recognised it as Elizabeth's head. "Good God!" He cried in horror as he did not hesitate to immediately dive in to save her.

- Elizabeth -

She could slowly feel the cold water flood her lungs and was about to give up when she suddenly felt a pair of strong hands wrap around her and pull her up to the surface. But by then, she had already lost consciousness. "Liz! Liz are you all right?! Liz!" Jim yelled, putting her head on his lap. She did not respond.

He then laid her on the floor and leaned down and pulled her lips apart gently by holding her chin and nose. He immediately performed CPR on her, hoping that she would quickly awaken. Will came up behind Jim and quickly started to unbutton his overcoat.

Elizabeth slowly came to and coughed a couple of times before looking up at seeing Jim, eyes filled with concern. "Liz!" He was overjoyed as he quickly hugged her. "Thank God you're all right." He whispered into her ear. Caledon could not stand the sight and stormed off the deck. She smiled faintly at him.

Will then took his overcoat and wrapped it around Elizabeth since Jim's was wet from diving into the swimming pool. "Come on, let's get you warm. Jim, you accompany Miss Andrews. I'll get Wilde to fill in for you."

"What makes you think he'll agree to it?" Jim asked. "Let's just say he owes me a favour from last night's game of poker." Will smirked. Jim said his thanks before putting his arms under Elizabeth's knees and back, carrying her bridal style back to her stateroom.

- Jack & Rose -

"We have to tell Mr. Andrews about this." Rose said, eyes widened. Jack nodded at her and they both went the direction they came from to get Mr. Andrews. Rose was sure he said something about making notes on the gym earlier at breakfast which was not too long ago.

- Clara -

Clara was on her bed, fully engrossed in her book when she suddenly heard violent knocking on the entrance door. She wondered who it could be because she knew that Elizabeth's knocks were mostly quick and soft, unlike the ones now. Still, she decided to take a look through the peek hole to make sure that it was not important.

She saw Jim carrying an unconscious Elizabeth and she knew something was wrong at once. "Oh my Lord." She said softly as she opened the door. "What happened to her, Jim?" She asked as Jim laid her down on the couch. "She fell into the pool while she was walking around the deck." He said while stroking her hair. Clara covered her mouth in shock. "I'll...I'll go fetch her some dry clothes." Jim kissed her forehead and her cheeks.

- Thomas Andrews -

Thomas Andrews was jotting down and making notes in his notebook after asking a few passengers about the facilities provided and was even talked into trying some of them himself. He was about to leave when he saw Jack and Rose rush in through the doors looking around. He turned to them.

"Mr Andrews! Elizabeth, she..." Rose said, panting. His brows furrowed. "What about Liz?" He asked, now anxious because of her serious tone of voice. "She almost drowned in the pool and she's now in her room. Thankfully an officer saved her in time." Thomas' eyes widened. "Thank you Rose. Do you know how she fell in?" He asked. "It was...it was Caledon Hockley and his butler Lovejoy's work." She answered just as quickly before he started running out of the gym and heading towards his daughter's stateroom. "Please be alright..." He muttered to himself the entire way.

- Jim -

He carried Elizabeth to her bed after he abashedly attempted to aid Clara in helping to change Elizabeth's clothes since she was too heavy for the young maid. She was tired and had fallen into deep sleep as Clara came in with the dry clothes earlier. Jim leaned against the bed frame and stroked her hair, watching her as she slept peacefully.

He heard someone fiddle with the door keys and handle before it finally opened to reveal Elizabeth's father, Thomas Andrews, sweat dripping down his forehead. "How is she, Mr. Moody?" He said, walking over to the bed as Jim got up. Thomas kneeled on the ground and held his daughter's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Moody for what you did." He smiled worriedly but kindly at Jim who merely nodded his head politely. His overcoat and visor cap were hung at one corner to dry.

Elizabeth stirred in her sleep and slowly woke up. "D...Daddy?" She croaked. Her voice was hoarse. "Liz!" Thomas' head shot up and he stood up to sit next to her at the edge of the bed. "Are you all right, sweetie?" He asked, kissing her on the forehead. "Just fine, daddy. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to rest, alone for a while." She said, smiling at him tiredly.

"Of course, Liz. Mr. Moody, may I speak with you outside?" He asked. Jim nodded and followed the shipbuilder out of the stateroom.

"Mr. Moody, I know that you and my daughter's relationship surpasses that of what a ship's officer and passenger's should be." Jim gulped, almost ready to face the music. "And I want to tell you that...I trust you, Mr. Moody. I've asked around about you and observed your actions on watches. And after today's heroic rescue, you've proven yourself to me, James." Thomas smiled at the officer.

Jim was so shocked his face was frozen and his eyes were widened. Thomas laughed. "Come now. Let us go and have a drink. I don't normally drink but I'd love to chat with you." He said as he walked down the corridor with him.

- Caledon -

Caledon was in the smoking room, sipping brandy with some other passengers, one of them being Colonel Gracie. Jim and Thomas walked into the room. They were chatting happily and were laughing as Caledon watched them. As soon as Thomas saw Caledon, his smile faded almost immediately. "Ah! Mr. Andrews! Come over!" A booming voice called out. Thomas saw that it was Colonel Gracie.

He walked over with Jim next to him and made the necessary introductions. "How...nice to see you, Mr. Andrews." Caledon said, somewhat smiling. "I don't appreciate what you and your valet did to my dear Elizabeth, and if you ever think that I'm allowing the two of you to get married, you've got another thing coming. Come on James, let us take our leave." Thomas said sternly, leaving all the brandy drinkers to look at Caledon, appalled.

Caledon sat in his cushioned chair, outraged. Thomas had just embarrassed him in front of a few of the most important and influential people on the RMS Titanic. Well, it didn't matter. Elizabeth to him was not that special anyways. Except for that blonde maid she had. That's right. He found out that Clara was only but a maid. Man, was she a beauty. Then suddenly, he devised a plan in his scheming head. Things would be so much easier for him.

- Elizabeth -

After Clara's care and lively chatter, Elizabeth was back to normal. Sure, she was extremely terrified of being thrown into that position again but she tried to think more about Jim and how warm his arms were. With that thought in mind, she was back to her cheerful self. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "I'll go get it, Clary." Elizabeth grinned at the maid.

She skipped over to the door to which Clara laughed at and opened the door to see Molly Brown. "Hello there, Molly!" She said, smiling as she showed her pearly white teeth. "Well, for a girl who almost drowned, you're looking just peachy." Molly joked. "Oh, I got over it. Is there any reason you were looking for me?" Elizabeth asked.

"Right. I'd like you to do me a favour. Jack Dawson? You remember the lad?" Elizabeth nodded. "I need you to help me find him and demand my suit back." Molly and her both laughed. "Also, Rose wants you to help her pass this note to him." Molly passed her a small piece of paper. "Sorry to trouble you. But we're both stuck at tea with the others." Molly said. "It's quite all right Molly. Go enjoy your tea with the rest of the ladies."

Elizabeth got out of bed and got properly dressed, bidding a quick farewell to Clara before setting off for third class to get Jack.

As she walked through the various gates, she walked down the stairs and saw that the passengers in third class were talking and playing poker and playing music on many different instruments. Elizabeth went down the path. She could feel many eyes on her. She bowed and smiled at anyone who she passed. She treated these people with more respect than she had ever shown to the first-class snobs.

She then saw Jack and quickly walked towards him. "Jack! Remember me?" She grinned at him. "Course I do. Elizabeth Andrews. Shipbuilder's daughter. How may I be of service?" Jack said, giving her one of his charming boyish smiles.

"Molly wants her suit back and Rose told me to give you this note." She passed the piece of folded paper to him. "Cool. I'll go get the suit. Oh, make yourself comfortable here though." He said, gesturing to his seat and walked off to his quarters.

A big Irish man on the bench stood up. "I'm Tommy Ryan." "Elizabeth Andrews. But call me Liz."

"Do I have to kiss your hand or anything?" He joked. "I'm pretty sure it's alright, Tommy. Nice to meet you!" She shook his hand again. She also met Fabrizio.

"Danny?" She squinted her eyes as she saw the little boy she met a few days back. "Hello miss!" He gave her a toothy grin. "Wanna meet my papa?" He asked kindly. She nodded politely. Elizabeth met both Danny's parents and even joined them for a few games of poker. She picked the skill up quickly and was a definite natural at it.

A pair of arms wrapped around her and she turned to see Jim. "Hey you." She said, absent-mindedly kissing him on the lips after which she heard wolf whistles and various applause all around the room. She started to laugh and Jim, as usual, blushed. "You need to learn to control your blush, Jim." She said.

"I'm not blushing!" He said sheepishly, before laughing along with everyone else. Jim made sure that his superiors were nowhere in sight before grabbing a chair to play a few rounds himself. However, a few minutes into the game and Jim was already winning.

Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Jack standing there with some clothes hung over his arm. "Thanks for returning the clothes for me. Send Molly my regards and...thanks for Rose's note." He raised it up as he put the suit on Elizabeth's lap before walking off. "Sure thing, lover-boy!" She yelling teasingly, to which Jack smirked at her over his shoulder.

"All right, gentlemen. I'm out. I've got things to do, old rich men to seduce so...see you later." Elizabeth joked, grabbing Jim's wrist and leading him out as the men she was playing with earlier laughed at her joke.

By then it was noon. Elizabeth's stomach started to make an embarrassing noise. Jim and her both laughed at the same time. "Hungry already?" He asked. She nodded. A wonderful idea then came to Elizabeth's mind. "Go to lunch with me." She grinned widely at the officer. "I told you Liz, I don't like going to the first class dining hall. I'm Sixth Officer Jim Moody, remember?"

"I have an idea." She ran down the deck, Jim running after her.

- Harry -

While he was on his watch, he was thinking about Clara. It was sad that she couldn't leave her room. It wasn't exactly a good idea for him to be lurking around the first class staterooms for no reason either. Harry then formed a plan in his mind and was ready to put it in action.

Making sure that no one noticed he was gone, he quickly dashed down to the officers' quarters where he knew Chief Officer Henry Wilde was sleeping in his cabin. He knocked at the door a couple of times before a sleepy officer opened the door, rubbing his eyes. Henry was wearing an undershirt and his usual blue pants. "You'd better have a damn good reason for waking me, Harry."

"You still owe me a favour from our game of blackjack the other day, remember?" Harry said, leaning against the door frame smirking. "Oh God. Not you too." He sighed, giving himself a face palm. "Will you please take over my shift at midnight?" Harry pleaded. "Why, why can't you and Will be normal? Why can't you guys demand a beer or something? Instead you torture me and give me your dreadful shifts!" Henry said, burying his head in his hands. "Too bad, Henry." Harry laughed before leaving the chief officer behind to sulk.

Harry then went up to deck. Now all he needed to do was find Elizabeth. Coincidentally, he turned and saw Elizabeth and Jim run down the deck towards him. "Liz!" He yelled. Due to shock, she stopped inches in front of him and lost her balance, falling on him. Harry, being the strong man he was, didn't topple but held onto her by her arms. "Sorry, Harry." She laughed, looking into his brown eyes,

"Hey, get your hands off of her! You don't see me touching Clara, do you!" Jim said seriously but in a joking way, plucking Elizabeth out of his hands and wrapped his own around the brunette. She giggled. "If you did Jimmy, you'd be a dead man. Anyway, can you pass this note to Clara for me?" He handed her a note which she took. "Why am I the messenger today?" She laughed and Jim obviously understood that inside joke as he laughed as well. Harry shook his head and left the couple to themselves.

- Elizabeth -

The two of them were still walking down the long deck. "Let's read it!" She squealed, raising the paper up. "Are you sure we should invade their privacy like this?" Jim asked frowning. For a moment they were both silent until they shouted in unison. "YES!"

She quickly opened the folded note and they skimmed through the note. _"My dearest Clary, I hope you slept well. I want you to know I love you and that I wish you had a good dream last night. Preferably about me. See you on the bridge deck tonight at 11pm? I understand if you don't want to come. Love, Harry."_

"Aww...Why don't you ever write me notes like that?" Elizabeth playfully hit Jim on the chest as he was right next to her. "I still do this, don't I?" Jim smirked as he kissed the area behind her ear. He apparently found out that that was the area that made her flinch and giggle. "Fine, fine. I love you too." She kissed his cheek, after looking around to make sure no one was on deck.

- Clara -

Clara was sitting on the couch in the promenade deck when she heard someone come into the room. Just by hearing the laughter, she knew it was Elizabeth and Jim. "Clary, you here?"Elizabeth shouted. "Promenade deck!" Clara said back. She said it loudly, but didn't shout.

"Your prince charming told me to give you this note." She giggled, throwing it onto the maid's lap. Clara unfolded it and read it, smiling lightly in the process. "So? What does it say?" Elizabeth said, shaking Clara's arm excitedly even though she knew what was on the paper.

"Harry wants to meet me tonight on the bridge deck." Elizabeth squealed, jumping up and down. "But I can't go." Elizabeth stopped jumping immediately. "WHAT? You have to go!" She cried.

Clara sighed and shook her head before saying "I can't. I can't leave the room, remember?" Elizabeth stood there, quiet for a while before she snapped her fingers. "I got it! I'll sneak you out!"

"Don't be ridiculous Liz! God knows when your aunt Augustine might pop in and check on us. As much as I love Harry, I don't want to take the risk..." She said, frowning. Elizabeth looked at her like she was crazy. "All the more you should go! I'm not taking no for an answer." She crossed her arms. Clara sighed. "Fine." Elizabeth grinned widely and ran off to get Jim and Clara half-smiled, shaking her head.

"Hello Clara!" Jim said happily as he walked out onto the promenade deck. "Nice to see you again, Jim." She smiled up at him. "Jim, come over here!" Elizabeth shouted from inside the room. They both laughed before he went back in.

- Jim -

Jim walked back in and saw Elizabeth putting the suit out onto the bed. "We're gonna dress you up as a first class passenger and sneak you into lunch." Elizabeth said. "Are you mad? What if someone finds out?" He looked at her weirdly. "Trust me! No one will! Besides, don't you want to protect from Caledon Hockley?" She pouted at him.

He sighed in defeat. "Fine. But only for that reason!" Elizabeth smiled happily and hugged him tightly. When they broke away, she kissed him deeply on the lips. "Okay, okay, that's enough for you." She pulled back but he went forward and kissed her again. Elizabeth started to laugh against his lips and pushed him away. "Stop that! Come on, let's get you dressed!" She laughed, grabbing the clothes and shoving them against his chest and gesturing to the bathroom.

After close to 15 minutes, he came out dressed smartly in the suit. "You look really handsome." Elizabeth commented as she walked up to him to adjust his jacket. Jim held onto her wrist, stopping her before leaning down to kiss her again. "I think you're addicted." She giggled as she walked over to her vanity table to touch up her make-up.

Soon enough, they were off for lunch. They walked down the halls, her hand draped over his arm. Thankfully no one noticed that the Sixth Officer was dressed up as one of them. He would occasionally nod at people who passed by. Elizabeth had to hold in her laughter whenever he stuck his chin up in the air.

They reached the elevator and went in. "No way, is that you James?" The young operator gasped as he pulled the lever. "Yes it is, Alfred. Say, how's the elevator business treating you, Alfred?" Jim asked his friend. They had met earlier that voyage a couple of times and got along swimmingly, seeing that they were only 6 years apart in age. "Well...it has its ups and downs." He replied. The two friends looked at each other and immediately burst into laughter.

"Forgive me miss ,but may I ask your name?" Alfred asked, now noticing Elizabeth who was hidden beside Jim. "Elizabeth Andrews, but call me Liz." She smiled at him and shook his hand. "Alfred King, but call me...Alfred." He laughed again.

Soon, the lift reached the B Deck. It actually reached during their introductions but since there were no passengers that needed the mode of transport, they continued talking for a while before bidding each other farewell, Elizabeth and Jim making their way to the dining hall.

- Thomas Andrews -

Thomas was at the table with Molly Brown, Ruth DeWitt Bukater and her daughter. It was not uncommon that he was eating with them like he normally did. Molly was a fun person to have around and Rose was a sweetheart. Suddenly, someone cleared their throat from behind him. He turned to see his own daughter, Elizabeth standing next to a very familiar gentleman.

"Hello father." She smiled at him. She always called him father in public but daddy in private. "Hello Liz, this is..." He asked, although he had already figured out who he was. It was not an easy task to know that he was Jim, especially with the formal suit on and his hair slicked back. "Paul Moody, sir." Jim calmly replied. Thomas smiled. Elizabeth sat next to Rose and Jim sat opposite Ruth. Introductions were made as necessary.

"So Mr. Moody, tell us about yourself." Ruth said, sipping her tea. "Well, Miss Bukater, my name is Paul Moody and I am 24 years old this year." He said awkwardly, not really knowing exactly what to say. "Nice suit, Paul." Molly commented, obviously recognising her son's suit. Elizabeth could barely hold her laughter in as she took a sip of her own tea. "Thank you, Molly." He replied as he gave her one of his sweet smiles.

"If it is all right, might I ask your current occupation?" Ruth probed further. "I am currently a sea-" He was cut off when he felt someone kick him in the leg. He turned to see Elizabeth giving him a look that clearly said 'don't tell her you're an officer.' "A sea?" She asked again, furrowing her brows. "What I meant to say was that I am currently a businessman travelling on the seas often." He saved. Elizabeth almost spit out her food. That was the best he could come up with?

"Oh? What kind of business do you run?' She continued to ask. "Well, I travel to China quite a fair bit. Mostly trading in tea before coming back to the UK to sell it in the market. It's a pretty prosperous business if you ask me." He lied some more. Both Thomas and Elizabeth laughed to themselves. They both knew that the Fifth and Sixth officers of the Titanic were big on bringing tea to the captain and the other high ranking officers. In a way, he wasn't lying.

- Ruth -

Ruth continued to look at the young man in interest. She knew that something was going terribly wrong with the engagement between Caledon Hockley and Rose. Ruth thought that there went their shot at a comfortable life. However, since 'Paul' was a businessman, things might not seem so bleak after all. He talked on and on about his 'tea business' at Ruth's instigation. She did not seem to notice the father and daughter at the table stifle giggles and chuckles.

Soon, Rose and Molly seemed to catch onto the joke as well. The only person who was buying his pathetic story was Ruth, who was, at the time, desperate for anything at all that could ensure her cushy lifestyle.

Throughout the lunch which lasted for a little over an hour, Ruth badgered Jim with questions, mostly about his fake business. She seemed pretty impressed with him overall and kept trying to include both Rose and him in the same conversation.

- Elizabeth -

Elizabeth couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the table, especially since most of the conversation and chatter was across the table. Ruth was even more talkative that day and she kept firing questions non-stop at Jim. She didn't even notice that the remaining four, Molly, Rose, Thomas and Elizabeth were playing a few games of I-Spy. Childish, they knew, but anything to pass the time.

After they were all done with dessert, Elizabeth wiped her mouth with the corner of her napkin. She took the opportunity as Ruth was doing the same thing she had done just seconds before. "If you'll excuse us, Mr. Moody and I have business to take care of. Take care now, father, Molly, Mrs Bukater." She stood up from her table and gave Rose a smile to say farewell before leaving the dining hall with Jim.

As soon as they were out of the room, Elizabeth and Jim took one look at each other and started to burst into laughter. "You have to be the worst liar on the face of the earth!" She said to him, still laughing. "Well, Ruth Bukater seemed to buy it." He responded. "You know Jim, for a moment there, I thought she was going to eat you!"

"For a minute there, I thought so too." He said jokingly as they walked down the deck, free to link their arms together because he was no longer dressed as an officer, but a young and loaded businessman. If anything came up, they could lie and say they were engaged or something like that.

A while after they had nothing to do, they decided to go to the wheelhouse at Elizabeth's request to learn a little more about the ship's controls since Jim had about 2 hours before his next shift. Before this, they stopped by her stateroom to let Jim change back into his uniform. They would remember to give Molly's suit back after they were done.

While there, Elizabeth was introduced to Quartermaster Robert Hichens by Jim. She wasn't as fond of him as she was of the other crew members, mostly due to his coldness and hostility but he still none the less taught her a little more about how the telegraphs worked and several different orders that were usually given to the quartermaster.

They spent a little over half an hour at the wheelhouse before they headed over to Elizabeth's stateroom.

Elizabeth looked around the room to find Clara and she eventually found the maid lying on one of the benches in the promenade deck, soundly asleep with her open book draped over her chest. Elizabeth had to giggle at that. Jim took off his visor cap and overcoat. He then sat on her bed, waiting for her. Elizabeth took off her dangling earrings and her necklace, getting comfortable as she sat opposite Jim on the bed.

( For maximum enjoyment of this part onwards, go listen to "The Ellie Badge" from the movie UP! )

"So...What happens after this?" Elizabeth said seriously after a moment of silence, her eyes downcast. "What do you mean?" Jim asked, puzzled. Obviously she couldn't have meant what happened after their time together in the next 2 hours. "I mean after we get to New York. What happens to...us?" She asked, unsure if it was an appropriate question.

Jim sat there, dumbfounded. He had never really thought about that. He only thought about what they were going to do the next day, living day by day. He never really thought about what would happen after they got off the Titanic. "I...I don't know." He answered truthfully, almost sighing. "Will we still...you know...love each other like we do now?" She asked again.

"I don't know what will happen after this ship docks, but all I know is that I want to be with you. No matter what happens." He said seriously, looking into her brown eyes as he held her hands tightly, never wanting to let go. He had no idea what life would be like for them, since she was a first-class lady and he was just a low ranking officer with only a meagre pay of $37 every month.

( $37 in 1912 would be close to $925 in 2013 if I'm not wrong! )

Elizabeth did not say a word, not certain of how to reply him. "I know I'm just an officer. I have absolutely nothing to offer a worthy girl such as yourself. I'm...not a rich businessman and I can't ensure that you would be able to live such a luxurious lifestyle with me, but I can promise you that I will love you with everything I have, and that everything I am. You deserve better, but if you choose to love me, even after we get off the ship, I will do anything, anything to make you happy." He said gently, meaning every word he said.

Elizabeth felt tears well up in her eyes. She gave him a small smile before taking her hands out of his and wrapped them around his neck, hugging him tightly as he embraced her back. She could feel so much love in that one hug that she never wanted to let go. It made her truly wonder if she deserved such a loving man like Jim.

They broke away just enough to look at each others' eyes, their face no more than four inches apart. "I love you so much." She whispered before kissing him on the lips, her tears finally flowing freely down her cheeks. They kissed over and over until they were tired. They then laid down on the bed, Elizabeth's head lying on his chest as he wrapped his strong arms around her, kissing her forehead. "I'm not sure how life is going to be like, but with you, it's gonna be perfect." She muttered, snuggling up to him even closer. He smiled at the thought.

Elizabeth was not sure when she drifted off into dreamland, but she slept so soundly that she didn't even feel it when Jim left her to go to his watch, not forgetting to plant a kiss upon her forehead before he left. He also left her a note which he gently put in between her fingers as she slept, remembering how she said it was sweet when Harry did the same to Clara.

_"I love you to the ends of the Earth. - Jim"_

**That ending scene was so fluffy I cried like three times when I wrote it, but it may just be me exaggerating xD I hoped you all are still with me on this story! Thank you, Unicorn360 for your wonderful review! I giggled to myself for like fifteen minutes after reading it! I will try to be consistent with these 'quick updates' ! I don't think I've ever updated a story this frequently! ****Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I can't believe the next chapter is already up! I wanted to leave you all with the previous one for a little longer but I just thought that since the two chapters was supposed to be only one, it was only fair to update quicker. I don't know if anything I'm saying now makes sense. It's REALLY late here, where I am. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did. :)**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 12 April 1912!**

- Clara -

Clara woke up and looked at the sky and saw that it was getting pretty dark. She glanced at the clock placed on one of the tables in the promenade deck to see that it was close to 7pm in the evening. She got out of the chair and put her precious note from Harry in between the pages to book mark it.

Clara walked into the room to see Elizabeth lying on the bed, fast asleep. She smiled and walked into the room to pack up the place when suddenly, Elizabeth stirred in her sleep. "Clary?" She mumbled, still sleepy. Clara laughed. "Good morning, Liz." Elizabeth smiled. "What time is it?" After seeing that it was about 7 already, she got out of bed. "Come on Liz, let's get you ready for dinner." Clara said softly, walking over to the wardrobe to help Elizabeth pick out a dress. Elizabeth rubbed her eyes and noticed the note in her hands. She opened it and smiled brightly.

In 15 minutes, Elizabeth was dressed in a very dark blue dress, so dark it almost looked black. The sleeves stopped at her elbows and the bottom of the dress was slim but long, until it touched the floor. Clara helped her put on some dangling earrings and a beautiful diamond necklace that she had been given by one of her suitors years back. Her hair was put up into a neat bun with a fringe of hair hanging down by the side of her face. Clara put her hands on Elizabeth's shoulder as Elizabeth sat at the vanity table. They smiled at each other.

Then, there was a knock at the door. As usual, Elizabeth stood up to go see who it was. It was no surprise that it was her father she saw standing there. "Hello Liz, ready for dinner?" He asked while smiling, holding his hand out for her. Elizabeth gave him one of her elegant and beautiful smiles as she linked her arm with his. They were about to leave when Thomas found something strange.

"Clary, are you...all right? Your face...one side seems a little darker than the other." He asked, creasing his forehead in worry. Thomas was so far away, he couldn't be sure what it was but it sure looked a lot like a bruise. "I'm all right, Mr. Andrews." Clara smiled at him while her heart pounded quickly in her chest, worried that he might find out about what Augustine did to her.

Elizabeth could almost sense her worry so she started. "Come on daddy, Clara just said she's fine! We'd better hurry up before we're late to dinner!" She laughed it off, tugging at her father's coat sleeve. "Yes...yes...Have a good night then, Clary." He said to the maid before walking off with his daughter, unconvinced.

"What happened to Clary, Liz?" He asked seriously and anxiously, not buying Clara's obvious lie that she was fine. "She's fine, daddy." Elizabeth lied, still hoping to keep the truth from him. "Elizabeth, tell me the truth, now." He said, stopping them in their tracks as he firmly placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders. She knew that he was being very serious whenever he called her by her name instead of 'Liz'. She had no choice but to fess up.

As they continued walking, Elizabeth told her father everything that happened, including her relationship with Fifth Officer Harold Lowe. All the while, Thomas occasionally nodded his head but mostly remained silent with the exception of a few questions here and there.

They stopped right outside the dining hall, as did the story. Thomas merely creased his forehead again. "Heavens. That poor dear..." He muttered to nobody in particular. "Please don't tell her I told you." Elizabeth pleaded with him. Thomas seemed to think about it for a while before he hesitantly nodded, giving his daughter a half-hearted smile.

Dinner went on as per normal but the Andrews were silent throughout. On normal days, they didn't speak unless spoken to but during that particular meal, they were more quiet than usual. However, no one seemed to think much of it, putting it down as the quiet nature of the family.

Thomas walked Elizabeth back to her suite after that, giving her a gentle hug and a loving kiss on her forehead before bidding her good night. "Good night, my dear girl. Oh yes, look forward to tomorrow, your special day. I have a surprise in store for my precious little angel." He smiled at her, stroking her cheek to which she grinned at.

It was close to 9 in the night when Elizabeth went back to her room. Clara was reading her book in the promenade deck again, this time with a candle next to her on a nearby table. Working as a maid to Elizabeth, Clara had a lot of free time on her hands, since she was a fast worker and Elizabeth helped out with many of the chores as well.

"I'm back, Clary." Elizabeth said loudly, throwing her bag onto one of the couches and sitting herself down at the vanity table to remove her jewellery. Clara muttered a small 'welcome back' before going back to her book. Elizabeth smiled. She went to go and prepare her own bath, not wanting to interrupt Clara and let herself relax in the warm water.

After soaking up the warmth for a little over half an hour, she willed herself to get out of the comfortable tub. She dressed herself in a nightgown and got out to see Clara sitting on the edge of her bed, fiddling with a box in her hands. "Clary?" Elizabeth called out, walking towards her. She quickly looked up, smiling at Elizabeth. Clara patted the area next to her, gesturing for Elizabeth to sit next to her.

Clara turned to her. "My dear Elizabeth. I've been your maid for ten years now. Throughout these ten years, I couldn't help but think that I was so lucky to have a lovely girl such as yourself under my care. You have been so good to me all these years and...I have not the slightest idea how to repay you." Clara said sheepishly looking away, to which Elizabeth started to chuckle. "So, the only way I can repay you is with this." She handed Elizabeth the black box.

Elizabeth looked at it before looking back up at a nervous Clara. "Happy Birthday, my dear girl." She said, smiling. Elizabeth opened up the box and was completely taken aback. It was her mother's diamond necklace that her aunt Augustine had pawned before the voyage. She cupped her hand over her mouth as hot tears did not hesitate to roll down her cheeks. "Cla...Clary..." Elizabeth sobbed, looking back up at her friend.

"I hope you like it. It sure wasn't easy to find." She joked. Elizabeth said nothing and lunged forward, giving Clara a big hug. "Thank you so much...You have no idea how much this means to me..." Elizabeth said, crying into her friend's shoulder. Clara patted her back comfortingly and used her other hand to stroke her hair.

"Well, the least I could do is get you all dolled up for your meeting with Harry." Elizabeth said as she left Clara's arms, wiping away her tears while laughing. Clara smiled and allowed her to, since she knew that Elizabeth would not rest until she felt like she repaid her 'debt' to Clara.

In the next hour of giggling and chit-chatting, Clara was dressed in a casual forest green dress that stopped just before her feet with 3/4 sleeves. Her long, wavy hair was put up in a neat bun like Elizabeth's had been earlier that night. As Clara touched up herself, especially with her bruise, Elizabeth changed into Clara's nightgown so that if her aunt were to come in and check on them, she probably wouldn't suspect a thing.

Elizabeth walked Clara to the entrance of their stateroom, holding her hands. "Good luck Clara." Elizabeth smiled widely at Clara. They enveloped each other in another hug before Clara snuck out, adrenaline running through her veins.

- Harry -

Harry walked quickly to the bridge deck at 11pm sharp. He was excited to see Clara even though the last time he had seen her was the day before. He leaned on the white railing, crossing his arms. Suddenly, he felt a little pat on his shoulder and turned to see Clara standing there in all her beauty, smiling up at him.

"Hey..." He said, grinning happily as he lifted her up by the waist ,to which she squealed softly, and spun her around the deck before bringing her close to him, her feet still off the deck floor as he kissed her on the lips. Her feet slowly touched the ground and her neck was tilted upwards as he was much taller than her. She put her hands on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her protectively, as if shielding her from the cold.

Harry and Clara then sat on one of the wooden benches when he felt that she was shivering slightly. He chuckled before removing his overcoat then putting it around her to warm her up. She looked up at him smiling and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you." she whispered before snuggling into his chest with his arm around her, pulling her close.

- Elizabeth -

Clara left about an hour ago. After admiring the necklace for roughly twenty minutes, she put it away in one of the drawers of her vanity table. Elizabeth then walked over to Clara's bed and wrapped the sheets around her but not before switching off all the lights.

Elizabeth fell fast asleep, thinking about her mother when suddenly, someone came into the room. Elizabeth shifted in her sleep but didn't wake up. The stranger looked at the two beds before identifying Clara's bed with her maid uniform hanging on the bedpost. He sneaked closer and removed the covers off her face. He found it unusual that the blonde maid had such dark hair but he merely blamed it on the lighting and how dark out it was.

His eyes went up and down her body. "How stunning." He muttered under his breath, his voice no louder than a whisper. He turned her over to face him and smirked maliciously. He was going to enjoy himself tonight.

- Clara -

"...Then which is your favourite book?" Harry asked, stifling a chuckle. They were laughing and talking about their favourite author, Jane Austen. "If I had to pick, it would be Sense and Sensibility." Clara laughed, her visible breath escaping out into the icy cold air.

"Never thought I'd find someone who liked it too." He smiled, looking down at her. "I have it in my room right now. Would you care to see it?" She asked, meeting his gaze. Harry leaned down and gave her a long, gentle kiss. He parted and put his mouth next to her ear and whispered. "I would love to." She giggled and pushed him away before they walked hand in hand back to her stateroom.

"Try to keep quiet. Liz is a pretty light sleeper." Clara reminded the officer hugging her from behind. He nodded against her shoulder and she smiled. What they would see in a few seconds would shock them.

They saw a figure in the darkness on Clara's bed, situated above a struggling Elizabeth. They both made out that the figure used one hand to restrain Elizabeth's hands above her head and the other cupped over her mouth. They could hear Elizabeth's muffled cries for help.

"Oh my God!" Clara cried, horrified as both her hands went over her mouth. Without a moment to waste, Harry dashed forward and caught the stranger off guard and lunged at him, pushing him onto the floor. Clara ran to Elizabeth who was panting heavily, tear streams staining her face.

Harry punched the stranger in the face a couple of times but in the one second he stopped to catch his breath, the stranger, partially clothed with a dress shirt and pants on, made a run for the door but Harry managed to grab the collar of his shirt. In a fluster, the stranger grabbed a pistol from one of the pockets in his pants and randomly fired it, fortunately hitting the wooden panel of the wall.

Out of shock, Harry accidentally let go. He was about to start chasing again when the stranger, now at the door, fired one more bullet. Harry only managed to narrowly dodge the bullet, but in the process let the stranger escape. He then switched on the light before closing the room door. He joined the two girls on Clara's bed.

Clara sat on the edge of the bed, hugging Elizabeth close to her, letting her head rest on her chest. One arm was wrapped around the crying girl and the other was stroking her hair. "It's all right now..." she muttered. Harry was not sure what to do but the first thing that came to his mind was to go get Jim. As he walked towards the door, he opened it and saw Thomas Andrews just about to open it from the other side.

"Officer Lowe? I heard gunshots and thought something was off. Is everything all-" He stopped when he looked around Harry to see his daughter crying. Harry leaned in and whispered to Thomas what had happened. The shipbuilder gasped lightly, shocked as he quietly thanked the officer before walking in.

- Thomas -

Thomas walked over to the bed and sat next to Elizabeth. She raised her head and saw her father before letting herself fall into his arm, clutching at his arms as she cried even harder, with no restrain. He hugged her so close to him, afraid that if he were to let go she would break. "I'm sorry, darling." He whispered to her, kissing her on the forehead multiple times, almost crying himself, seeing how sad his little girl was.

- Harry -

He ran all the way to the officers' quarters. He stopped just outside Jim's cabin door and banged loudly on it.

"Damn it Jim!" He yelled, banging the door again and again. The white wooden door finally opened.

"Why in the name of God are you banging on my door at midnight?" Jim said irritated, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "It's Elizabeth. She needs you." Harry said seriously. Jim's eyes widened as he shut the door and quickly dressed in his officer's uniform, buttoning his overcoat as he opened the door, walking out with Harry.

"What happened to her?" Jim asked anxiously, as they made their way to the girls' stateroom. "Some bloody rapist tried to have his way with her." Harry said angrily. It made sense for Harry to be this angry because his good friend was almost raped and he was almost shot twice that night.

"Bloody Christ..." Jim said furiously, clenching his fist. After they reached, Jim reached for door handle but realised it was locked so he knocked on the door a couple of times before it opened. He saw Clara there. He nodded at her before walking in. Clara saw Harry and simply embraced him, crying into his jacket. Harry hugged her back, resting his chin on her head.

Jim saw Elizabeth in her father's embrace. Thomas looked up at the officer and let go of his daughter. Elizabeth looked up and turned to see Jim standing there, arms open wide with a comforting smile on his face. She ran into his arms and cried on his shoulder. He rubbed her back up and down and gave her several kisses on her cheeks and forehead to comfort her.

- Clara -

"I think...I'll see you again tomorrow, Harry." She said to him, giving him a peck on the lips. Harry let go and smiled at her comfortingly before walking away, quite sure Clara didn't want him around. He couldn't blame her. He encouraged her to sneak out of her room and her best friend almost got raped because of it. It was fortunate that they went back when they did. If not, the consequences would have been dire.

Thomas stood up and walked towards Clara. "May I have a word with you in my room?" He asked gently, to let her know she wasn't in any trouble. Clara nodded before following him out, leaving Elizabeth and Jim in the room.

Thomas opened his room door to Clara before closing it himself. "Do you know the man who did it? You were there at the scene, weren't you?" He asked patiently but eagerly. "I...I can't be sure but it looked a lot like...C...Caledon Hockley..." She bit her lip. She didn't want to malign somebody with no claim but she was pretty sure it was that pompous ass.

"I suspected him too..." Thomas said, deep in thought. Clara looked at him, confused. How would he know who it was if he wasn't even there when it happened? "Don't think I haven't been noticing the looks he's been giving her every single meal." He chuckled, brows still furrowed. Clara nodded her head slowly.

"Well, I'm sure you've had a long night as well so I wish you a good night and good dreams." He smiled at her before leading her out of the room. "Good night to you, Mr. Andrews." She curtseyed politely before going into her stateroom. She was surprised to see neither Jim or Elizabeth in there but thought they might've gone out somewhere to talk so she got ready for bed and slept.

- Jim -

Jim looked at her in the eyes and leaned down to give her a passionate kiss, hopefully kissing away all her fears and sadness. She kissed him back, more fiercely so. Elizabeth pushed off his visor cap and unbuttoned his jacket and tossed it aside. However, the moment Jim started to undo the first button on her dress, she immediately pulled away.

A million thoughts were rushing through her brain. After what had just happened earlier, was she really ready for...this? "I...I think you should leave now." Elizabeth said, unsure and unusually quiet. "Liz..." Jim said, taking a step closer to her. She just squatted on floor and cupped her hands over her ears. "Just GO!" She yelled. Jim was hurt and he frowned as he put on his cap again and flung his coat over his shoulder, sighing as he walked out.

Elizabeth sat on the floor, wondering what she had just done. She just messed up something so special. Jim was being so sweet to her and after all, she was the one who started it. She didn't care. She was going to finish it. Still wearing her nightgown, she ran out of the room, looking around. There were only a few stewards and stewardesses walking around.

Elizabeth ran down many hallways, getting down through the elevator and looked left and right as she reached the officers' quarters. She spotted Jim, his shoulders slumped as he walked back to his cabin. She raced down the corridor towards him.

He heard footsteps getting louder and louder and he turned and saw Elizabeth running towards him. He didn't have time to react as she pushed him, tackling him to the wall as she crushed her lips against his. He was caught off guard but kissed her all the same, cupping her cheeks in his hands.

Their kiss did not break as he fiddled with the doorknob behind him and opened the door to his room. After they finally pulled apart, they were panting. "What made you change your mind?" Jim asked, looking at the brunette in front of him. "I remembered how much I loved you." She said, her eyes flickering between his eyes and lips. Sooner than later, they found themselves lip-locked again.

They walked over to Jim's bed, still locked in each other's embrace as they both fell, him landing on top of her. Elizabeth started to giggle before kissing him again. His lips made a trail of kisses from her lips down to her neck. She moaned in ecstasy as he sucked on the skin of her neck.

Elizabeth ran her slender fingers through his chocolate brown hair as he shivered in delight. Jim started to kiss her lips again as he tried to unbutton her nightgown again. He could her tense up beneath him. He stopped when he saw a solitary tear fall from her eye. He kissed the tear away before undoing the buttons on her nightgown.

From there, the officer and the passenger had the best time of their lives. It was tough, mostly for Elizabeth, but they both thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Half the time they had no clue what they were doing, but it all worked out fine.

Jim rested his lips on her neck and it remained there for a couple of moments. Elizabeth smiled to herself as she shut her eyes due to fatigue.

Jim then rolled next to her and covered them both with the stained sheets. He would have to get an extra change of sheets from one of the stewards later on. He pulled Elizabeth close to him and wrapped his arms protectively around her frame. Elizabeth rested her head on his chest as she could feel his heart beating against his chest. With his other hand, he held her hand again and kissed it.

"I love you so much, Elizabeth." He said lovingly before kissing the top of her head. Elizabeth's grin grew even wider. "I love you too, Jim." They both laid on Jim's bed, drifting off to dreamland in each of their lover's arms.

**My God. I actually attempted to write a full on mature scene/ smut/ lemon but I cut it out because I am terrible at writing that sort of thing. Hope you all 'liked' that though. xD ****Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone! So, the next chapter is now up! I was a little sad that no one reviewed but NONE THE LESS, thank you for reading this story, if anyone out there is still reading! I'll see you guys at the end of this chapter again! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did. :)**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 13 April 1912!**

- Elizabeth -

Like the previous night, Elizabeth woke up in Jim's room. But not exactly the way she was awoken yesterday. She woke up and saw Jim putting on his clothes, finishing up with his overcoat quickly. He seemed like he was in a rush. Elizabeth walked out of the bed, not even carrying the sheets with her as she hugged him from behind, kissing his neck. "Liz, I love you but I'm running late today." Jim said as he hastily planted a kiss on her forehead before going to the table to get his visor cap.

Suddenly the door swung open, banging against the wall. "Jim! Wake the hell up!" A Scottish accented man shouted. Elizabeth hid a scream as she scurried behind Jim. "Bloody hell, Will! Don't you knock?!" Jim shouted, putting his hands behind him to shield Elizabeth from Will's eyes.

The first officer on the other hand, blushed profusely before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him, not forgetting to apologise. Jim and Elizabeth looked at each other and started to burst into laughter. She turned and quickly put on her nightgown again before packing the sheets as usual. Jim chuckled before grabbing her hand opening the cabin door. They saw Will leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "I'll escort her back and meet you up on deck." Jim said before Will promptly nodded, walking ahead of them, obviously still flustered.

As they made their way up, they talked and talked, making lame jokes as well. "Well, thank you so much for last night, Jim. I love you." She said, kissing him deeply on the lips. Jim smiled against her lips and she did the same. "I love you too, Liz." He said warmly before pecking her on the cheek. After making sure she got into the room safely, he went up to the deck to meet Will for his watch.

- Clara -

Clara woke up, early as usual. She was excited for the event happening later that day but decided to read Jane Austen at the promenade deck as usual.

- Elizabeth -

Elizabeth turned in her sleep, hearing murmurs in the room.

"I think she's waking up soon." One said. "Look! She's up!" The next said. Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw her father leaning over her as he sat on the edge of her bed. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Elizabeth, happy birthday to you." He sang. Elizabeth laughed.

"I got you a present!" Thomas said, smiling at her. Elizabeth clapped her hands excitedly, wondering what her father could possibly get her for her birthday. He reached into his pocket and took out a black leather notebook. It looked a lot like his own, but it wasn't. It was brand new.

"I know how much you love to draw so I've given you your own little black notebook. To write down anything at all. A thought, a recollection, anything you'd like." He said as he put the notebook and a pen in her hands. Elizabeth smiled at the notebook sitting in her hands. She was never one to judge a gift's value by the cost of it, but she cared more about the meaning behind it.

Elizabeth placed the notebook on the bed beside her before kissing her father on the cheek ."Thank you daddy." Thomas pulled his daughter into an embrace before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm glad you like it. Go on and get ready for breakfast dear, I'll wait in my room." He smiled at the girls before getting up to leave.

Elizabeth couldn't stop grinning to herself as Clara helped her into her dress for breakfast. She was dressed in a blue-grey dress that touched the floor. She casually pinned her hair up in a chignon bun and wore a large hat with a wide brim to match the look, it being of the same colour as her dress. She put on some light make-up as well. Elizabeth went over to her wardrobe and took out her mother's necklace that Clara gave her the previous day and brought the box to the vanity table. "Clary, would you help me put this on?" She asked.

Clara softly smiled before adorning her neck with the gorgeous diamond necklace. Elizabeth ran her hands along the tiny diamonds laced together to form the necklace and smiled sadly, dearly missing her mother. She felt a tear fall from her eye. Clara went in front of Elizabeth and wiped away the tear. "Come on Liz. It's your birthday today isn't it? Plus, crying will only ruin your make-up."

Elizabeth laughed and wiped away another tear that was rolling down her cheek and put on her white gloves. "Enjoy your breakfast Liz." Clara curtseyed before seeing her out of the room.

- Thomas -

Thomas was adjusting his necktie when he heard a soft knock at the door. He smiled, knowing at once who it was. He opened the door and saw Elizabeth standing there. "You look absolutely wonderful." He complimented her as he put his arm out. "Thanks daddy." She giggled before taking his arm.

The pair or father and daughter walked out into the halls. They smiled and nodded at those who passed by them. "Daddy, where's aunt Augustine?" Elizabeth asked. She may not have liked what she did to Clara but she was, after all, her aunt and she felt obliged to show a certain amount of concern. As soon as she finished her question, Thomas' smile faded almost immediately. "Let's not talk about your aunt for now, shall we?" He tried to brush it off, grinning at her again. Elizabeth found it odd but she just decided to go along with it.

He looked down at his daughter and noticed the necklace she was wearing. His mouth rested in a thin line. "Liz...Where did you get that necklace?" Elizabeth looked down and noticed what he was asking. "Clary gave it to me for my birthday." Thomas smiled and a flicker of nostalgia showed in his eyes before he looked back at her. "It looks lovely on you. You look just like your mother." Elizabeth could feel tears welling up in her eyes but pushed them away. "Thank you, daddy." She said, holding on even more tightly to her father.

As soon as they reached the dining hall, they sat down at a table with the crowd they normally ate with. At the table was Bruce Ismay, Molly Brown, the DeWitt Bukaters and Caledon Hockley. Elizabeth was coincidentally seated opposite Caledon and she had to fight the urge to jump out of her seat and run away. Her smile of happiness was quickly replaced with a nervous bite on her lower lip.

"Well hello there, Lizzy." Molly smiled at the girl. "Uh...Lizzy?"It took a while for her to register what she was saying until her father gently shook her shoulder to bring her back to reality. "O...Oh! Good morning, Molly." She said, giving the lady a small smile "So, I heard it was your birthday today. Happy birthday!" Molly said to her again, this time sipping her tea.

"Thank you Molly." Elizabeth said. Rose who was beside her tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Happy birthday, Elizabeth." She whispered kindly. "Thank you Rose." Elizabeth whispered back. Ruth didn't even bother to acknowledge her birthday but Elizabeth didn't expect her to anyways. She kept giving her nasty looks and Elizabeth probably didn't want to know why.

Bruce wished her a short happy birthday as well but she didn't care to pay that much attention since most of his attention was fixed on tweaking that god ugly moustache of his.

Last but not least came Caledon Hockley. "Happy birthday, Elizabeth." He said smoothly, giving her a smirk and a suggestive raise of the eyebrow. Thomas noticed how uncomfortable Elizabeth was and cleared his throat. "Ahem...Let's place our orders, shall we?" He said after realising that everybody's plates were empty.

Breakfast was uneventful. For everyone but Elizabeth. She felt a leg keep sliding up her skirt and constantly looked as if she was going to throw up. Thomas, Molly and Rose seemed to be the only ones that noticed. As soon as Elizabeth ate the last piece of food on her plate and wiped her mouth with the corner of her cream-coloured napkin, she stood up abruptly. "Excuse me." She said politely before leaving the dining hall.

Thomas was about to stand up to see how she was doing when Molly beat him to it. "I'll go talk to her, Thomas. She needs a woman-to-woman talk." Molly said before leaving the table.

- Elizabeth -

She walked out onto the deck, leaning against the railing as she looked out into the open sea. So far, she had been able to put what happened last night at the back of her mind and used thoughts of the beautiful memory she and Jim had created to fill that empty space but as soon as she saw Caledon, those same feelings of fear and anxiety came rushing back to her. It was almost too much for her to handle all at once and she felt like she was suffocating, being in the same room as that scum.

"Lizzy?" A voice called out. Elizabeth turned and saw Molly standing there, looking concerned. There was silence for a while until Molly said something. "Come to my room for a while. I want to give you something." Elizabeth nodded and followed the lady back into the ship.

After a fairly quiet walk, they reached Molly's stateroom. It wasn't much different from hers but the main difference was that there were many hats and headpieces lying around everywhere. "It's a mess in here." Molly commented as she went into her bedroom. Elizabeth looked around and took an empty seat on the couch, taking her own hat off and placing it on the space next to her.

When Molly came back in, she was carrying a small little box in her hands. Elizabeth stood up and walked up to Molly. Elizabeth looked down at Molly, as she was about 4 inches taller than her. "Well, today is your birthday and I wanted to give you something special. You know darling, you've been like a daughter to me. Heck, you're one of the people on this ship that I can actually talk to." Elizabeth giggled. "So...this present I'm giving you is very dear to me. My mother gave it to me on my wedding day. It never really did fit me though." Molly let out a loud laugh.

Molly opened the box to reveal a watch. The strap of the timepiece had diamonds all over it in neat rows. It looked so expensive. "I...I can't accept this, Molly." Elizabeth gasped, turning away. "Oh come on, Lizzy. I'm giving it to you!" Molly said exasperatedly. "It's too valuable and meaningful! I don't think I could take it." Elizabeth said, embarrassed. "Well, if you don't want it, I guess I'll just have to throw it overboard." Molly sighed as she walked towards the promenade deck with the watch in her hands.

Elizabeth thought that she was just kidding but when she saw Molly get closer and closer to the edge, she got a little surprised. "Oh, you're serious." Elizabeth muttered to herself before she ran towards her. "Molly, stop!" Molly started to chuckle. "So now will you accept the watch?" Elizabeth sighed. "All right. Just know that I'm pretty much indebted to you, at this point Molly."

"Well, you can start by returning me my son's suit." Molly said. Elizabeth gasped. "Oh my Lord, I am SO sorry Molly! It completely slipped my mind! I promise, I'll return it to you tomorrow after the Church service." Molly put a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, Lizzy. You could even keep it if you really liked it." She joked. Elizabeth laughed too.

- Clara -

Clara had gone down to F Deck about an hour or two after Elizabeth left to the servants' dining hall which was located next to the third class dining saloon, at about 11am. As she recalled, it was not that crowded, save for a few chattering maids. She got her food and quietly sat in the corner, not wanting to talk to anyone. She was never a social butterfly, anyway.

After she was done, she walked out but was pulled to one corner by someone. She turned and saw Harry there. "What are you doing, Harry?" She whispered, annoyed. "What's wrong, Clary?" He asked, concerned as he knew something was amiss. Clara pulled her hand out of his, looking away. "It's nothing. Leave me alone." She said coldly and as she was about to leave, Harry pulled her close to him and kissed her, holding her hands to prevent her from running away.

She struggled and finally got out of his grasp and slapped him across the face. "Don't you see? Elizabeth was almost taken advantage of because I sneaked out to see you that night." Clara started to cry. "Like I said. Leave me alone and spare me the pain." She ran off, her hands loosely covering her eyes as the tears fell non-stop. Harry stood there, unsure of what just happened.

- Elizabeth -

Elizabeth took the whole box from Molly and went back to her stateroom since there was nothing much for her to do. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by sounds of someone crying. She looked at the source of the wails and saw Clara sitting on her bed, back facing her. After the maid heard her lady come in, she quickly started to wipe away her tears.

Elizabeth ran to Clara' side and knelt in front of her, not caring if her dress got dirty. "Clary, what's wrong?" Clara shook her head and walked past her friend, refusing to answer her. "Clary, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong!" Elizabeth stood up and followed the blonde. "I just don't feel like talking about it! All of you are just driving me up the wall!" Clara whispered loudly and started to wail again.

Elizabeth was about to follow her and get her to elaborate when Clara brisk walked to the bathroom and locked herself inside. Elizabeth sat down on her bed, deep in thought when all the pieces sort of clicked. There was no one else Clara would be so open with either than her and Harry so that was her answer. Elizabeth picked up her hat and pressed it lightly on her head before leaving the room, now furious.

- Harry -

Harry and Charles were on the boat deck, chatting to one another since their watch was fairly uneventful. There was hardly anyone else on the boat deck at the moment and the two officers were looking for a place to take a breather from their work.

"Did you see how distracted Moody was this morning?" Lights asked, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I noticed. I wonder why..." Harry said, staring off into space.

"Probably because of Miss Elizabeth..." Charles wondered aloud.

"I haven't the slightest idea. Maybe he-oh, hey Liz, how-" Harry was cut off by a loud slap across the face.

"What is going on here?" Charles asked as he quickly went behind Elizabeth, holding onto both her elbows, keeping her away from Harry. Harry held onto his face, shocked. That was the second time he had been slapped that day, and on the same spot!

"I come back from breakfast to my suite to see my best friend bawling her eyes out?! And don't give me shit that it doesn't have anything to do with you! I know one way or another it's somehow linked to you." Elizabeth spat at him, working even harder to get out of Charles' grasp. He struggled just to hold her back and the Second Officer even had to fully wrap his arms around her to keep her from pouncing on his junior officer.

"I...I..." Harry stuttered, not exactly sure how to explain himself. "Just spit it out, Harry!" Charles shouted at him. "R...Right! Well...she blames herself...and me...for you almost getting...you know...taken advantage of that night..." Harry said, looking away. All at once, Elizabeth stopped all movement, taking in the new piece of information. Charles was wondering what they were talking about but he told himself he would ask Harry about it later.

"W...What?" Elizabeth managed to whisper. "She didn't tell you because she didn't want to worry you..." Harry said, looking down. Lights still had his arms wrapped around Elizabeth and after hearing this news, he felt her lean into him and he hugged her a little tighter. "Then...then why was she crying this morning?" She asked again, looking up at him.

"I didn't understand how guilty she felt about it so I acted as if nothing had happened. I...I hurt her feelings." He answered with remorse, leaving out the part that he forcefully kissed her. Elizabeth turned around and put her hands on Charles' chest. "Lights, can I steal Harry for a while? Clara really needs him." She looked up at the tall officer with pleading eyes.

"All right, all right." He sighed, conceding. Elizabeth gave him a friendly peck on the cheek and a quick hug before breaking away, walking towards her room with Harry behind her. Charles shook his head at the pair before walking off himself to continue the watch by his lonesome.

- Clara -

When Clara heard the sound of the entrance door open and close, she knew it was a sign that Elizabeth had left the room. She quietly opened the door and sat down on her bed. A billion thoughts raced through her mind. One idea was for her to quit working for the Andrews. Sure, she'd have no job to feed herself but she couldn't bear to face Elizabeth. It was only a matter of time before the guilt caught onto her sanity.

After about 15 minutes of silently thinking to herself, Clara heard the door open again. She turned her head slightly over her shoulder and saw Elizabeth and Harry.

"Clary...I brought Harry here. The three of us need to have a good talk to sort this out." Elizabeth said. "There's not much to talk about." Clara said, her voice devoid of emotion. Elizabeth walked over to her maid. "Clary! Please, just talk to me! I know you always bottle up your feelings but this time, I need to know how you feel." She frowned, holding Clara's hands in hers.

Clara looked away, as if contemplating whether or not to tell her. "I'll leave you two to talk." Harry said before leaving the room. The blonde still remained silent. "I know you blame yourself for what happened to me the other night." Elizabeth decided to talk if Clara didn't. "I'm so sorry..." Clara managed to get out, her voice was no louder than a whisper.

"Stop blaming yourself. Look, Clary. Do you want to know the truth? Because of this one incident, it let me experience something...something so special and beautiful. That night...Jim and I...did it." Elizabeth said, eyes downcast. Clara looked at Elizabeth, eyes wide open. "You two did...WHAT?" She gasped. "We...made love." The brunette blushed. Clara almost got all excited but she remembered what she almost did to Elizabeth and frowned again.

"Don't you see Clary? Things happen for a reason and I wouldn't have had it any other way, if that meant that Jim and I wouldn't have had such a wonderful time together. " Elizabeth told Clara. Clara slowly started to nod. "I know what you mean."

"Then go. Harry's right outside that door, waiting for you to go talk to him. I can tell he's sincere about apologising." She said, smiling at Clara. Clara finally smiled back a little. The maid then stood up and walked out of the door.

- Harry -

Harry was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Suddenly, the door beside him opened and he stood up straight immediately. "Clary..." He muttered, walking towards her. "Look, Clary, I'm so sorry, I-" He was interrupted when Clara placed a finger to his lips. "Shh...Let me do the talking. I guess I felt...guilty and I took it all out on you. I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't fair to you. After all, that little incident made Liz the happiest girl on Earth." Clara half-smiled at Harry.

Harry's features softened and he broke out into a grin. "Wait. What do you mean, 'made Liz the happiest girl on Earth'?" He asked. Clara looked around before putting a hand next to Harry's ear to tell him something. "Last night, Liz and Jim...made love." Harry's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. "What!?" He yelled. Clara shushed him.

"Do you think I could get a chance soon?" Harry whispered cheekily to Clara, leaning forward a little. She blushed before whispering back. "Not a chance." He laughed before pulling her into an embrace. They missed each other's touch so much they savoured every moment of the hug. After they pulled apart, Harry leaned down and gave Clara a sweet and gentle kiss.

Reluctantly, Harry broke the kiss. "Come on now, I need to continue my watch with Lights. I'll see you tonight, Clary." He smiled at her before leaning sideways to give her a soft peck on the cheek. Clara watched him walk off before grinning to herself as she touched the area on her cheek where Harry kissed her.

- Thomas -

Thomas was making some scribbles in his black notebook as he took peeks at the ship's blueprints when he heard a knock at the door. He walked over and opened it to see Clara standing there. He smiled at her. "What can I do for you, Clary?" He asked as he stepped aside to let Clara go in.

"Mr. Andrews, I would like to ask you for permission to excuse Elizabeth from dinner tonight." Clara said, looking up at the tall shipbuilder. "And why's that?" Thomas asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "You see, a few officers and I have planned a little get-together to celebrate Liz's birthday."

Thomas nodded his head. "It should be all right. After all, it's her birthday and I don't think she'd be having fun with a bunch of stuck-up elders." Clara had to giggle at that. "Well, if there's nothing else, I must be getting back to my work. I'll see you soon, Clary." He nodded before escorting her out of his room.

- Elizabeth -

She was in her room, taking off her jewellery as she didn't feel up to lunch. She would ask Clara to ask one of the stewards to bring some food when she came back. As she sat at her vanity table, she thought about what Clara said to her. There was only one way to relieve the maid of her worries and guilt. It was to catch the rapist. Even though she knew who it was, she needed solid evidence to convict him.

The stateroom door opened and Clara walked in. Elizabeth got up from the table and walked over to her. "Clary, do you happen to have the belt and jacket that the stranger dropped the other night?" She asked. "Yes. Would you like me to take it out for you? I haven't thrown it out yet." Elizabeth smiled at her and nodded.

Clara laid it out on her bed and as soon as Elizabeth finished taking off her mother's necklace, she sat down on Clara's bed with her. "Why did you want to see them again?" Clara asked. "I can't rest in peace until I know who's responsible for this mess." Clara nodded her head, to say that it made sense.

Elizabeth looked at the belt buckle and saw the initials 'C.H' on it. She smiled. That was her first clue. She looked at the coat next. The label clearly stated 'PROPERTY OF CALEDON HOCKLEY'. She laughed to herself. Caledon was making this so easy for them. "We have to tell the master-at-arms." Clara said, looking up at Elizabeth. "My sentiments exactly." Elizabeth smirked before jumping off the bed and heading for the entrance.

- Thomas -

Clara left less than 10 minutes ago and there was another knock at the door. He got up to go answer the door, thinking that Clara might've forgotten something but the person he expected was not there. Instead it was Augustine. "Hello Thomas." She smiled. He didn't return it. Still being the gentleman he was, he moved aside to let her in and she walked straight in, sitting herself down on the couch.

"I've been wanting to talk to you about the maid, Clarissa." She said, gesturing for him to sit down next to her. Thomas shook his head, holding a hand up to say that it was all right for him to stand. "All right then. I feel that we should...let her go." Augustine said calmly.

"What do you mean?" Thomas' brows furrowed. "I've heard that there are rumours floating around, saying she's involved with one of the officers. This is definitely going to be a smear on the Andrews name, don't you think?" She started to laugh. Thomas shook his head. "Shut up Augustine!" He suddenly shouted. She flinched, shocked. This had to be the first time she heard such a gentle man like Thomas raise his voice like that. "What's gotten into you, Thomas?" She asked, a hand on her chest.

"Don't think that I'm not aware of what you did to Clara!" He pointed at her. "You mean when I slapped her? She deserved it!" Augustine shouted back. "That doesn't even begin to justify your actions!" He yelled back. Tears were forming in Augustine's eyes. "When has anything I've ever done please you?" She said, walking up to him, so close that their faces were less than a few inches apart.

"After all these years you're still dwelling on the past?" He said in disbelief.

"I loved you Thomas! I loved you and you chose Helen over me!" She started to cry.

"We're not talking about this anymore. You'd best leave, Augustine." Thomas said coldly, turning away from her.

Augustine ran up behind him and hugged him from the back. "I still love you Thomas. Helen is gone but you still have me..." Augustine whispered in his ear.

"GET OUT!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. She flinched before running out of the room, sobbing. That was probably the loudest he had ever screamed before. A headache suddenly washed over him. Thomas sat down at his desk and poured himself a cup of brandy, hoping the headache would go away soon. He would, after that, proceed to take a nap as Augustine sobbed in her own room.

- Elizabeth -

She opened the door, peeking outside. Elizabeth spotted a male steward walking towards their direction. Perfect. She smiled at Clara and started walking out, acting as if she was crying. "Miss? Miss, are you all right?" The steward asked her, concerned. "Will you please help me fetch the master-at-arms? Something terrible has happened!" She sobbed. The steward was confused but nevertheless acceded to her request and nodded before walking off hastily. Elizabeth then walked back into her stateroom, leaving the door open so that the master-at-arms would know which room called for him.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Clara whispered to her. "I know." She whispered back, stifling a laugh as she wiped her tears.

After a few short moments, the master-at-arms, Mr. Joseph Henry Bailey arrived at the girls' stateroom. "What seems to be the problem, Miss..." Clara mouthed her name. "...Andrews?" Elizabeth went into crying mode again. "Something...something terrible has happened! I have been...I have been...Oh it's terrible!" She cried, holding the master-at-arms' shoulders and sobbing into his jacket.

"Umm...Don't...Don't worry Miss...Just tell me the problem and I'll try my best to help you out." He said, awkwardly patting her back. He then retrieved a handkerchief from one of the pockets on his jacket and handed it to Elizabeth. "Thank you, good sir." She said before pulling away, taking his handkerchief. "Late last night, a stranger barged into the room and...and tried to take advantage of me..." Elizabeth said, sobbing even more.

"Did you see his face? Any evidence at all?" He asked, tapping her shoulder. "Yes...yes! There was a...belt and a...and a jacket...Clara please...bring them over." She continued to say in between sobs. Clara nodded before bringing the belt and jacket over, laying them on one of the tables in the room.

Mr. Joseph walked over and scrutinised the belt buckle and the jacket label, like Elizabeth had done earlier. "Caledon Hockley...Caledon Hockley? The son of Nathan Hockley? The Pittsburgh steel tycoon?" He asked disbelievingly. "Yes, sir." She said, her tears growing in intensity.

"Are you sure Miss Andrews? It's just that...well...Mr. Hockley is a very influential man...Um...well, getting on his bad side is not a wise idea..."

"Are you suggesting that my father, Mr. Thomas Andrews, the chief naval architect of this very ship that you are working on, is not an influential man?!" Elizabeth cried, outraged. That seemed to work as the man's eyes widened. "Your...your father is Mr. Thomas Andrews?" Elizabeth looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Right. We're on it, Miss Andrews. No need to worry. We'll catch that man." He said proudly before quickly walking out of the stateroom, leaving Elizabeth and Clara in the room. Elizabeth smirked as she held out a hand which Clara softly hit in a high-five.

"I swear, you could pass for an actress." The maid shook her head, staring at the door. "I know." Elizabeth laughed.

- Caledon -

Caledon was in the smoking room with the usual bunch, sipping brandy and chatting merrily. He was bothered by the fact that the officer and the maid had seen his face after he attempted to rape Elizabeth but he re-assured himself with the notion that any problem could be solved with a little money.

"Sorry to interrupt your session gentlemen but I am going to have to take Mr. Hockley with me." A man that Caledon recognised as the master-at-arms said, walking up to their table. "Whatever for?" Colonel Gracie asked. "Mr. Hockley has been suspected of a case of outrage of modesty." He said plainly. "Oh my. Who was the poor lady?" The older man asked, giving Caledon a dirty look.

"Miss Elizabeth Andrews, sir." He replied. "Thomas Andrews' daughter?" Gasps were heard all around the table and even some from nearby tables. "This is...This is all nonsense! How dare you slander me of such a low crime?" Caledon tried to defend himself, banging his fist on the table, almost causing the glasses to topple over and spill the contents onto the rich old men.

"Further investigations will be done but until then, I'm afraid I'll have to cuff you, Mr. Hockley." Joseph said, taking a pair of silver handcuffs and locking them around the businessman's wrists. Caledon could've easily pulled away, thanks to all the long hours he spent at the gymnasium, but he didn't want to cause a scene, especially not in front of so many important people.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure this is all just a big misunderstanding. I'll have it cleared up soon and before we know it, I'll be back to sipping brandy with you fine gentlemen." Caledon said as he was being pulled away but the men he was drinking with earlier continued to stare at him with blank faces, shaking their heads.

- Spicer Lovejoy -

Spicer was standing outside the smoking room, until he saw his employer being dragged off in handcuffs by a man he knew to be the master-at-arms. He decided not to make a fuss, not in the first class hallway so he followed the two closely.

Down the many flights of stairs, they finally reached a room. Joseph hand cuffed Caledon to one of the poles as Spicer walked in. "Mr. Bailey, might I suggest that you rethink your decision?" He said coolly. The master-at-arms looked at him, clueless and so the valet went closer to him and pulled out a wad of cold, hard cash from his coat pocket and flashed it in Joseph's face.

For a moment, greed flickered in the man's eyes and Spicer knew he had Joseph's attention. "If it's not enough, I'm sure we could arrange something." He continued, taking out another stack of notes. Joseph's eyes shifted from Spicer to the money again and again before he took the two stacks of money, pushing it into his pocket. "Well, I suppose this was all just a huge misunderstanding all together..." the master-at-arms declared before un-cuffing Caledon and walked away, nodding at the two men.

Spicer walked up to Caledon as he massaged his wrists, sore from the handcuffs' constrictions. "Good job, Lovejoy. I see a raise coming your way." He smirked before walking out of the room and heading up to the smoking room, his loyal watchdog following behind him.

**Don't you guys just hate Caledon? I hope you do, if not, I'm not doing a very good job of writing xD Once again, the chapter was WAY TOO LONG so I had to chop it in half T_T I hope you guys like this chapter! ****Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**HELLOOO. Haha, so I'm back with another chapter! Lately, I've been having inspiration troubles writing the other chapters but I am still trying to get these chapters out! School starts in a month for me so by then, I hope that I'd have done quite a number of chapters! I'll continue at the bottom of this chapter! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review if you did. :)**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is STILL 13 April 1912! This would be the second half of 13 April :)**

- Elizabeth -

It was now close to 8 at night. Elizabeth found it odd when her father told her that he was not attending dinner, therefore she had no need to go. Of course, this was all an excuse for the little celebration Clara and the officers were throwing her later, during Pitman and Boxhall's shift.

These few hours, Elizabeth and Clara were in their stateroom, talking and reading. Elizabeth didn't have the opportunity to open the notebook her father gave her since she was too busy receiving telegrams from various influential businessmen and suitors, wishing her happy birthday. She couldn't remember how many times she had been to the messenger room just because she didn't want to trouble the stewards and stewardesses to keep bringing her the messages.

Elizabeth sat on her bed as she recalled the events of that afternoon, at about 2.30pm just after she had eaten some light lunch that a steward brought to the room. It wasn't filling in the least, though.

Elizabeth smiled and nodded at the people who passed her by as she made her way to the wireless room. She had heard about the wireless operators on board. Harold Bride and John Phillips or better known as Jack Phillips. They were both very friendly men so she was pretty sure they wouldn't be that annoyed for her to go up and maybe watch them work since she had nothing better to do that day.

She knocked on the door politely and saw one of the operators at the desk, tapping away. "I heard that there were quite a few telegrams for me." She said. The man at the desk looked up and took off his headphones and walked over to her. "You must be Miss Elizabeth Andrews. I'm Harold Bride." He said, as he gave her a light kiss on her hand. "There's a whole stack over there." He pointed to an area on the desk with at least two to three stacks of papers and letters.

"Happy birthday, Miss Andrews." He said as he got back in his seat. "Thanks. But please, Liz is fine." Elizabeth said as she walked over to the stack and began to look through them . "In that case you could call me Harold." She kept a laugh to herself, remembering that Harry's actual first name was Harold as well.

"Well Harold, do you mind if I stayed here for a while? I mean, if it's not too much trouble." She asked. Harold smiled up at her from his seat. "That shouldn't be a problem. In fact, Jack, the other operator, should be on his way back from the mess hall right about now. He'd love to meet you. Meanwhile, you could sit over there. " He pointed to a chair next to a white curtain. "Thank you Harold." Elizabeth said sweetly before carrying her stacks with her to the chair.

No longer than 15 minutes later, another man walked in with two plates of food in his hands. "I'm tellin' ya Harold. The food they give the crew is terrible! I-" He stopped when he saw Elizabeth looking up at him, amused. "I'm Elizabeth Andrews, but call me Liz." She said, walking up to the man. He was about to grab her hand but he realised he had no free hands. "I'm John Phillips, the other wireless operator, but call me Jack." He looked awkward, not very sure what to do. Elizabeth laughed and shook her head before she took one of the plates so that they could at least shake hands.

Jack started to laugh as well. "So you're the birthday girl, aren't you? We've been receiving dozens and dozens of birthday wishes since the day started!" Elizabeth shook her head. "Sorry to trouble you, then. Harold said I could stay here for a while. Think that'd sit with you well, Jack?"

"I don't see why not." Jack shrugged his shoulders, smiling at her. "That's Harold's lunch, by the way." He nodded at the plate she was holding before opening the curtain and pulling out another chair, putting it next to the one Elizabeth was sitting on earlier. She put the plate on the desk and sat next to Jack, looking through her stacks.

The three spent the afternoon making lame jokes and sharing silly anecdotes with each other. She learnt that Harold was on his shift until 8 at night and Jack would take over until 2 in the morning. She told them that the timings for their shifts were ridiculous and they certainly agreed with her.

"Well, I really must be going now." Elizabeth said as she stood up from her chair, with Jack copying her action. He kissed her hand and bid her farewell. Jack even told her that she was welcome to come back anytime she wanted, as she was a joy to be around. "W...Wait!" Harold called out hastily as he was still tapping away and couldn't do the same. Elizabeth giggled before leaning down to his level and giving him a quick peck on the cheek, to which he blushed at.

As she picked up her stacks and was ready to leave, Jack called out. "Don't I get one too?" he joked. She rolled her eyes and kissed her fingertips and brushed them against his cheek before walking away, moving her fingers back and forth in a little wave. "Not fair!" He yelled out, to which she laughed loudly at.

She smiled, remembering how funny the duo were.

Elizabeth was broken out of her reverie by Clara who shook her shoulder gently. "Liz? I have a surprise for you...but you're going to have to dress up nicely. Like how you would for dinner, for example." She cocked at eyebrow at her maid's sudden request. "And why is that?" She asked curiously.

"I told you, it's a surprise!" Clara said, amused. Elizabeth agreed to do so, wanting to see what was in store for her. By the time they were done, Elizabeth was dressed in a short-sleeved midnight blue dress, her favourite colour, with a black sash tied into a ribbon at the back. It had a sweetheart neckline with little flowers sewn on the bodice. It flowed freely to her feet, on which she wore a pair of simple black heels. She put her hair up in a signature bun with a fringe of hair down the side of her face. To top it off, she put on her mother's necklace and a pair of dangling earrings. She also put on the watch that Molly had given her.

"How do I look?" She asked Clara. "Perfect." She answered before looking to the clock to see that it was 15 minutes after 8. "Oh gosh, we're late..." She muttered under her breath. "What?" Elizabeth asked. "Oh, nothing! Let's go." Clara said. The blonde had taken out her apron and white bonnet, letting her hair down.

Clara led her down the hall and as they were approaching the room, Clara 'borrowed' Elizabeth's sash and tied it over her eyes, like a blindfold and held her hand to guide her so she wouldn't trip. Clara's hand suddenly left her and another hand soon replaced hers. Elizabeth could tell this person was wearing leather gloves.

She could hear the sound of tables moving and people 'shushing' each other. "Okay!" The blindfold was taken off for her and the lights were switched on. Elizabeth knew at once where she was. She was in the officers' mess hall.

In front of her, she saw Will, Charles, Harry and Clara there with a birthday cake in Charles' hands. "Happy birthday!" They said loudly in unison, all smiles. Elizabeth started to laugh and she turned to look at the stranger, who turned out to be Jim. He smiled down at her. "Happy birthday, Liz." Jim said softly as he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. Elizabeth leaned against the door frame and he had a hand above her head, holding his weight as they both smiled against each other, the kiss growing deeper and deeper.

"Ahem." Harry cleared his throat, which made them stop immediately.

"Sorry." Elizabeth giggled as she pulled a blushing Jim by the hand to the table, where their friends were.

Elizabeth looked at the chocolate cake in front of her and smiled. She loved chocolate. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Elizabeth, happy birthday to you." they all sang together. "Make a wish, love." Jim whispered in her ear. She laughed. "I wish all of us can stay friends forever." She said, looking at the people around her with warm eyes, which they returned.

She brushed her fringe back and gave a strong blow, blowing out all the candles on the cake, after which they all clapped. Will took it upon himself to cut the cake as the remaining five of them started to talk. The first officer handed all of them slices of the cake.

"Mmm...Compliments to the chef!" Elizabeth said, savouring every bite of the delicious cake. "Why thank you, Liz." Charles said, tipping his hat. "You can bake?" She said, almost choking on her cake. "Course I can. My wife, Sylvia, taught me a while back." He smiled, remembering his sweet wife at home.

"Anyone up for a drink?" Harry asked, hugging Clara close to him. "We've got a few bottles over here." Will said, walking over to one end of the table with about 5 or 6 bottles of fine wine. "Cheers! From Mr. Thomas Andrews." He read out from a card next to the bottles. Elizabeth smiled. "My dad gave us alcohol?" She questioned. "To our surprise." Harry answered.

The first officer helped to pour glasses of red wine and serve it to them. Meanwhile, Charles pulled Elizabeth aside. "Liz, I just thought I would give you the film which has the photograph of you and Jimmy in it and all the other photographs we took. Maybe you could develop it when the ship docks or even in the photographic darkroom on the ship. Think of it as a...cheap birthday gift." He smiled down at her. "Thank you Lights. It means the world to me." She returned his smile, giving him a warm and friendly hug, to which he bent down to hug her back. They were so close that he was like a second father or even an older brother to her.

It was funny how Elizabeth grew to be so attached to these men even after only knowing them for a few days.

An hour into their celebration, Herbert and Joseph stopped by. Captain gave them permission to go to the mess hall to wish Elizabeth a happy birthday so he himself took over their watch but only gave them half an hour. During this half an hour, they played a variety of card games, poker being the obvious favourite. The officers mostly betted with their shifts and when Elizabeth and Clara played, they betted with money. By the end of their poker games, Herbert and Joseph talked Jim and Will into taking over their night shifts the next day after the First and Sixth officer kept losing to them.

About another hour later, they managed to finish all the bottles of wine, plus some of their own. Together, the officers had been able to pull together about 5 bottles of wine and 10 bottles of beer they 'borrowed' from the third class party. By then, Harry and Charles were completely wasted.

"...and so Willie here had no clue that I was the one who put the seawater in his visor cap!" Charles laughed, banging his fist on the table. Everybody but Will laughed along with him. "That was YOU?" said officer asked in disbelief. Everyone at the table was doubled over in laughter, seeing Will's priceless reaction. Will sighed, rubbing his temples. "I think you all have had enough to drink."

"I for one agree with that." Clara said, pushing off of her a drunk Harry who kept giggling and leaning on her. Charles was the first to stand up and he walked over to Elizabeth's seat as he spoke. "Well I had a lovely, lovely time tonight." He leaned all the way down. "Good night, birthday girl." He grabbed her face and gave her wet slobbery kisses on both sides of her cheeks to which she giggled at.

"Get out of here you bloody idiot." Jim said as he pushed Charles' face away with his hand. "Careful there, Jim. Lights ranks you." Will said teasingly. "That's rights you idiot. Well...I'm off to...my watch...Cheerio." He said, wobbling and staggering over to the door, only to walk straight into the wall. Will sighed. "Jim, you and I will take over their shift later. They're too ratted to function."

"SAYS WHO?!" Harry shouted, shooting up from his chair. "I'm COMPLETELY sober, one hundred percent sober, I say!" He yelled out before stumbling backwards, but eventually falling sideways onto Clara's lap. "Sober, you say?" Will joked, looking down at the fifth officer. "One...hundred...percent..." He said before sleeping on the blonde maid's lap. "Anyway, I'll clear up tonight. Clara, do you need any help bringing that idiot back to his quarters?" He asked, his voice full of care and concern.

She shook her head and gave Will a small smile. "Shouldn't be a problem." Clara, Elizabeth and Jim stood up at the same time and the sober couple walked over to the door. "Want me to escort you back to your stateroom?" Jim asked her politely. "I don't feel like returning yet...Could I maybe stay with you? You know, until you have to leave for your shift?" Elizabeth asked with pleading eyes. "How could I say no?" He smiled, leaning down to give her a kiss. Elizabeth giggled against his lips as he deepened it playfully.

"I'm sorry to interrupt the moment, but I need to get Harry to his quarters..." Clara said awkwardly. They turned to notice Clara and Harry behind them. Harry was practically asleep, only muttering a few words here and there. He had one hand over her shoulder and she was holding him up.

"You sure you don't need help?" Will asked again. "I'll be fine. Liz, Jim, just lead the way." The trio plus Harry was about to walk out when a voice screamed.

"What about me?!" Charles yelled out after them. "I'LL take you back, you bloke." Will said, pulling the second officer back by his collar, making him fall to the floor. They all laughed before walking off.

The walk to the officers' quarters was pretty quiet. The officers' mess hall, bathrooms and quarters were on one side, close to the Marconi Room so they had no one to worry about catching them except for well...no one. Even if the captain and chief officer was strict, they'd probably be let off with a stern warning or something of the kind. Nothing too serious.

"Right, so this is Harry's room," Jim gestured to a door in front of them which had a sign hanging on the door that read _'FIFTH OFFICER: MR. LOWE, HAROLD'_. On his sign, there were teacups drawn on any free space, so much that they looked like a pattern or background of the sign.

"and there's the toilet. My room's just down the hall, go straight then right then straight then right again, so come find us if you need any help." He finished after pointing and making hand gestures down the corridors. She watched as Elizabeth and Jim disappeared down the confusing corridors. Clara then looked at Harry again and sighed before pushing him up against the door so that she could fish around in his pockets for his cabin keys.

- Elizabeth and Jim -

Jim opened the door for Elizabeth, letting her enter before he locked it tight. She went over to sit down on his bed. He walked over and sat next to her, lightly pressing on her thigh so he wouldn't make a loud creaking noise as he sat down, a sound he knew his bed was fond of making.

Elizabeth flinched a little at the pressure applied. "What's wrong?" He asked, immediately concerned as he put an arm around her. "Nothing. I guess I'm still a little sore from yesterday night." A little blush crept onto her face as she remembered the passionate night they shared and he laughed light-heartedly. "You were really beautiful." He whispered in her ear. Elizabeth giggled before kissing him on the cheek.

Now, she was fidgeting in her seat. "What's wrong, again?" Jim asked once more. "This dress and corset is so uncomfortable, I can barely breathe in it." She complained, smiling sadly. "I have some night clothes if you don't mind them being a few sizes too big." He offered jokingly. "What about you?"

"I'll have to go on shift in a while so it wouldn't really matter. I'll wake you so you have time to change back into your dress and corset after I return, at about 4 in the morning so there's no problem for you to borrow my clothes." He explained. "Yes, that would be nice, thanks." She beamed at him. Jim walked over to his desk and took his messily folded clothes and walked over to her, putting them in her hands.

Elizabeth stood up with her back facing Jim. "Jim, darling, could you help me unhook my dress?" He walked and stood behind her, looking at the complex dress design with confused eyes. "Jim, it's not that hard, just pull the two silver things apart." She laughed. Unbeknownst to her, he blushed and sheepishly said "I knew that." before taking the dress off for her, leaving her in her corset and drawers. "Need me to help with the corset?" She nodded. "That'd be really helpful."

With his nimble fingers, he quickly unstrung the corset and put it neatly on the chair and passed her his clothing. Elizabeth took off her camisole and slid down her drawers. For a moment, Jim's cheeks were tinted pink as she was totally naked. She seemed to pick up on that. "Jim, why are you blushing again? You've seen me like this before!" She teased. "Come here you!" He reached over to hug her and they both fell on the bed, laughing as they were lip-locked.

"Okay, that's enough. I really need to rest." Elizabeth said, reluctantly stopping him as she put on his clothes. Jim walked over to her and slowly buttoned up the shirt for her before stepping back to take a look at her. "You look adorable!" He beamed. His clothes were so big on her that the sleeves on the shirt reached beyond her fingers and the pants were touching the floor. "Why, thank you, kind sir." She replied in a snobby voice before laughing. He soon joined her.

"Oh yes! Before I forget." Jim said all of a sudden as he walked over to his luggage. He poked around for a moment until he took out something, hiding it in his hands as he went back to Elizabeth. "This...was my father's. Consider it a little birthday gift from me to you. I know it's nothing special but it really means a lot to me." He placed a pocket watch in her hands.

"Jim...It's really nice of you to give me this...But are you sure it's all right for me to take it?" Elizabeth asked. "Yes. But don't worry. When we get to New York, I'll buy you something nicer." Jim smiled at her before giving her a kiss as he held her hands tightly, the tips of their noses touching gently.

The couple walked over to the bed after a while and laid there. Elizabeth rested her head in his chest and his arms were around her, holding her in a warm embrace as his lips were perched at her forehead. "I love you." He whispered as she fell asleep.

- Clara and Harry -

As soon as Clara got Harry into the room and was locking the door, he began to stir. "C...Clary..." He mumbled. "Yes, dear?" She said softly as she put the keys on the table quietly, leaving Harry leaning against the wall. The drunkard staggered his way over to Clara, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "I'm sorry for this morning..." He said, his face so close to her that she could feel his alcohol breath hot on her cheek. "It's okay." Clara said, turning slightly so she could catch a glimpse of his face. "I love you so much." He slurred, giving her a wet, sloppy kiss on the lips.

Clara pulled away. "Come on Harry, let's get you to bed..."

"Later..." He said again, kissing her once more. Harry turned her around so now she was in front of him. She lightly pushed him away from her. "Be good, Harry." She sounded like his mother, to which he chuckled to himself. Listening to the woman he loved, he waddled over to his bed and fell flat on his face on the mattress. Clara shook her head and helped to turn him over and shifting him so that he was now leaning up against the metal bed frame. She had also helped him to take off his coat and un tuck his shirt so he was more comfortable.

Clara looked around the room and saw a vacuum flask on the nearby desk. After making a short trip to get the flask, she sat next to him on the bed and unscrewed the cap of the flask. "Here, drink some water, Harry. It'll help." Harry frowned and turned his head away, pouting. "No." He said stubbornly. In that moment, he looked like a child, so much that Clara couldn't stifle a giggle.

"Harry, if you drink up, I'll tell you a bedtime story." She said in a higher pitch, acting like a parental figure. To this, he immediately perked up, smiling widely as he nodded, taking the flask from her hands and gulping down water like there was no tomorrow. "Don't choke!" Clara reminded, putting a hand on his shoulder as she took off his cap and put it on her lap.

Harry gave the flask back to her after drinking almost half of the water inside and laid down immediately, looking up at her with excited eyes. "Come on, don't lie down on your back." She helped him turn so that he was now facing sideways, in her direction.

"Tell me a story." Harry said, the slur in his voice no longer as obvious as before. "Okay. Once, there was a lady. She was servant to a fairly understanding family, save for one very shrewd old lady who treated her like dirt. One day, as she went about doing her boring old duties as a maid, she was informed that she would be accompanying her family on a ship. One of the grandest ships in the world at that." Harry smiled, knowing that she was referring to the RMS Titanic. "She was overjoyed, being able to sail on that ship. As soon as she was on board, she got to enjoy a fancy dinner, and in the process met a handsome young officer who caught her eye. You could say that it was love at first sight. He was not the most gentle of men, and neither was he the most slick," He laughed. "but he was the one who had captured her heart in one glance. Every single part of his imperfection was perfect to her. She wasn't sure how it came to be, but she found out that the feelings she harboured for him did not go unrequited. Due to...certain circumstances, the old lady in the family came to know about their relationship. Thinking it would besmirch the family name, she forbade the maid from seeing her lover ever again, and left her with a stinging slap across the face." A tear fell from Clara's eye and Harry wiped it away before holding her hand in his larger one. "After this, she sneaked out to see this officer, now not caring what the old lady thought of her. With every second she was with the man, she felt so happy, so alive. It was as if he made her forget that she was but a servant, someone with little worth. He made her feel like she was enough. He made her feel loved. Eventually, the ship docked and she was torn between serving the kind family and the evil old lady, and leaving with the officer. She then came to the conclusion that the opportunity of happiness was dangling before her and it would never again come by, should she fail to seize it. She then chose to go with the officer, and they lived happily, ever, after."

Clara smiled with tears falling down her face. She looked at Harry to see that he was fast asleep. She leaned down and kissed his forehead before putting his cap on the desk. She then left the room quietly, shutting the door behind her. All the way back to her stateroom, Clara couldn't wipe the grin off her face, thinking about what might happen if the story she had just told really became a reality. As she reached the room, she assumed her young mistress was still with her own lover and so she changed into her nightgown and laid on her bed, drifting off to sleep with sweet thoughts about the man she loved.

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to the guest who reviewed and TARDISonTitanic! Yes, I DID take a LOT of artistic liberties in this story! As I've said before ( I think ) this story is NOT 100% true to what actually happened or the events that occurred in a particular person's life. Also, Augustine is Thomas' sister-in-law, which means they aren't actually blood-related. They do have a 'history' that I want to elaborate on as the story progresses, if I can. But thank you two for your lovely reviews! ****Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hay there everybody! How have you all been? I got out another chapter! Here it is, chapter 11! Recently I got into Lés Misérables xD I love the movie and am currently looking for the novel by Victor Hugo to read :) Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter! Also, ****I'm not really sure which of the officers were there at the church session but I'm just going to assume that Chief Officer Henry Wilde, First Officer William Murdoch and Second Officer Charles Lightoller were at the church session with the captain. **

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 14 April 1912! This would be the first half of 14 April :)**

- Elizabeth & Jim -

Just like she had done before, Elizabeth was awakened by the sound of Jim's footsteps as he dragged his feet around the tiny cabin, changing out of his officer's uniform. He was taking off his coat when she woke. "Jim?" She called out, her voice groggy. She sat up in the bed, leaning her back against the bed frame. Jim turned and smiled at her before walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge, looking down at her with a loving gaze. "Good morning, honey." He whispered, kissing her on the cheek.

The pair sat there for many moments, their foreheads and tips of their noses touching and their eyes closed, enjoying the company of their lover. "I'd better get back." Elizabeth said, opening her eyes. "Must you?" Jim pouted, looking into her eyes. Elizabeth giggled before pulling away. "Yes, I really must. After all, I have a church session later and you need your night clothes."

"You know, I could wake you in time for you to prepare for your church session and I don't mind sleeping like this." He gestured to his white shirt and navy blue pants. "Your shirt would get crumpled." Jim responded by taking off his shirt, throwing it to one corner and smirked at her. Elizabeth was close to blushing, once again seeing his robust torso. Of course there was his undershirt but that did not do much to cover up his athletic form.

"You...you'll crumple your trousers." She stuttered, looking away. "Honey, do you really want me to take my trousers off?" He asked in a unusually sexy voice which sent chills down her spine. "Well that is entirely up to you, Jim. I am tired and I shall retire for the night. Again, good night." Elizabeth said, flustered as she quickly laid back down on the bed, shutting her eyes tightly.

She could hear him shed the article of clothing and get under the sheets with her. Elizabeth turned so that she now faced him. Jim kissed her on the forehead as he wrapped his strong arms around her petite self and embraced her back to sleep.

- Clara -

Clara woke up pretty early since she knew that she had to help Elizabeth to get ready for the church session, after which she'd probably go and find Harry on his watch. During the times she'd spent with him, she learnt that he had the 12-4 shifts and by then he'd probably be on watch on deck. It was about 7 in the morning but when the maid looked at her lady's bed, the sheets were completely untouched, showing that she did not even return to the room for the night. Clara couldn't do anything but wait and ask Elizabeth where she had been, although she was pretty sure about her whereabouts.

- Elizabeth -

Elizabeth woke up in Jim's bed for the second time that day, this time her own natural body clock waking her up. She found out that she had shifted in her sleep. Jim spooned her all night. She turned and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Elizabeth sat up and was ready to get out of bed when a certain officer pulled her back and she giggled as she crashed back into him and now he was embracing her tightly from behind. "Where do you think you're going?" He muttered sleepily as he rested his chin on her shoulder, eyes closed. "I need to go for church service!" She said. She took a glance at the clock hanging on the wall. "Oh my!" Elizabeth immediately jumped out of bed, almost hitting his chin. The church session started at 9 am and it was already 8.45 in the morning.

"What's wrong, honey?" Jim asked, confused. "I'm late for the church session!" Elizabeth said, flustered as she quickly unbuttoned the shirt and hastily replaced it with her camisole. "It's only 8.45, Liz." He pointed out, not sure why she needed that much time to get ready. "Just help me with the corset, would you?!" She put her hands against the wall after passing the officer her corset.

Jim looked at the corset and looked at her, not really sure what to do with it as he had never helped someone put on their corset before. "Uh, darling? Why aren't I squirming in pain yet?" She asked, her head slightly turned over her shoulder "I don't...actually know how to put on a corset..." He said awkwardly. "Christ..." She mumbled to herself. "Should I go find someone to help? Like...Lights maybe? He has a wife, he probably knows how to do it." Jim suggested reluctantly, not really wanting him to see her like this, stripped of most of her clothing.

"That'd be nice, but please hurry..." She said before turning around so that she was now leaning against the wooden panel. Jim grabbed his dark blue trousers from the desk and quickly put it on before opening the door, his head poking out of his room to see if anyone was there.

Coincidentally, he saw Charles walk down the corridor with a cup of tea in his hands. "Lights!" He whispered loudly as he waved his hand. The second officer looked at Jim and brisk walked over to him. "What do you need? And please...don't yell." He said softly, still recovering from his hangover.

"Liz needs help with her corset and she's late for her church session." He said, his voice a little softer than before. "Right. And...you don't know how to put one on?" Charles raised a brow. "Well...no. I was hoping you knew, since you have a wife and all." Jim looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Well we'd better hurry then, I have to be up there as well." He said before Jim led him in.

Elizabeth stood there, pacing up and down in a pair of grey pants and her white camisole when the two men returned to the room. "Good morning Liz." Charles smiled at her politely, making a gesture for her to turn around. She passed him the corset as she took her position, palms on the wall. "And to you Lights." She replied.

Charles was efficient in lacing up the corset, fast and tight. "There you go." He said after he was finished. "Thank you Lights. Will you be there for the service?" Elizabeth asked, giving him a grin "Yes. I suggest you hurry, you have only about 5 minutes left." He commented before leaving the cabin, leaving Jim and Elizabeth alone again. "Oh Lord...Jim will you help me button up my dress?" He nodded, taking her dress from the bed and helping her into it after she had taken off his pants she was wearing.

Elizabeth decided that it would be alright for her to re-use the dress she wore last night. After all, it was not so formal looking and no one really saw her in that dress, save for Clara and the officers.

"Do you have a mirror?" Elizabeth asked after he was done. "Here." He held up a small mirror for her to fix her hair. Elizabeth quickly re-did the bun and put on her various accessories. "Thank you darling. I'll go find you later." She smiled at him before hastily kissing him on the lips and then leaving the room to go to the church service.

She was brisk walking, something pretty unladylike, down stairs and corridors when she bumped into someone. "Liz? Aren't you supposed to be at the service?" The familiar voice said. She looked up to see her father standing there with a kind smile. "Sorry daddy...I overslept!" She laughed before walking off. He watched his beloved daughter rush off before he shook his head, walking off with his notebook in his hands, jotting down notes as he went.

Elizabeth nodded politely at the steward who helped her to open the door. As soon as she stepped in, the voices of the passengers stopped singing, but the officers and captain continued as did the organist. They all turned to look at her. She felt so embarrassed as she walked over to the first bench to stand next to Molly, who willingly moved over to make space for her.

Molly held out the songbook for Elizabeth to refer to, and they smiled at each other. A few seconds later, everybody began to sing again. Will and Charles looked at Elizabeth and the three shared small grins with each other while singing.

Soon, the church session was over. Elizabeth watched as the passengers got up from their seats and took their leave. Of course, the captain and the officers were not allowed to leave until all the others have gone so they stood at their places with their hands behind their back, smiling politely.

Molly stood up and held a hand out to help Elizabeth up. "Thank you Molly." Molly looked down at her wrist and saw that she was wearing the timepiece she gave her. "I see you like the watch I gave you." She commented. "It's lovely." Elizabeth smiled. Soon, the two ladies were the only ones left in the room, except for the captain and his officers.

"Ladies, would you like to take your leave as well?" Captain Smith said, giving them a warm smile. "Of course. Would you gentlemen like to join us for breakfast? We need escorts, after all." Molly said, looking at all the men. The captain looked at his officers for an answer. "I'm afraid I have some business to attend to." The chief officer said before he excused himself.

"I've got time." Will grinned at the women. "So do I." Charles said as well, smiling a little. "Well I leave you ladies with my fine officers. First officer William Murdoch and Second officer Charles Lightoller." Captain Smith gave them all one last jolly smile before leaving the room.

"May I have your name, Miss?" Will beamed at Molly, offering his arm to her. "Margaret Brown. But please, call me Molly." She answered, taking his arm. "Liz." Charles said politely, doing the same. Elizabeth put a hand on his arm as they followed Molly and Will out of the room.

"Thank you for your help this morning." Elizabeth said softly, a smile on her lips, revealing her pearly white teeth. "No problem." He replied, leaning down a little so he could hear her better. The way to the dining hall was quiet, mostly the two of them just enjoying the sibling-like company of each other.

Molly, Will, Elizabeth and Charles were seated at a table and after they ordered their respective meals, Molly started a conversation. "So Will, got a lady at home?" She asked him with her usual cheeky smile. "I have a wife at home, Ada. Aid and I married in 1907 and she's currently expecting." Will brightened up at the thought of his wife and his unborn child. "How about you, Charles?" Molly asked the second officer.

"I too have a wife at home. Her name's Sylvia. I've got two boys at home. Frederick and Richard." He answered, him too, happy to talk about his lovely wife and children. "How adorable." Elizabeth thought to herself as she smiled, imagining two little Lightollers running around causing havoc as they went.

The rest of the breakfast was lively, Molly entertaining the three with her funny anecdotes, which she apparently had plentiful of. After the meal, Will escorted Molly back to her stateroom and Charles, Elizabeth.

"Charles, you've mentioned before that there is a photographic darkroom on the ship, right?" Elizabeth asked as they walked away from the dining hall. "Yes, there is." He answered politely. "Would you bring me there? I'd like to develop those pictures we took that day." Charles' lips curled into a smile. "I'd love to." Elizabeth, thanks to the many hours of studying the ship's blueprints, already knew where it was but she decided that she would like the company.

"Great! But we'll need to stop by my stateroom to get the rolls." She said before he nodded.

- Clara -

Clara was in the stateroom, tidying the beds, wondering where Elizabeth could be since she never came back to prepare for the church session. It was at about half past 11 in the morning when the door opened. "Liz! And...Lights...where have you been?" Clara asked Elizabeth curiously. "I was with Jim before the service." Elizabeth answered coolly. "Well...all right, I guess..." The maid stared into space for a while before going off to read her book.

Elizabeth went to the vanity table and took out the rolls of film out of one of the drawers before going back to Lights. "Let's go." She smiled up at the officer who returned her smile.

They went down many flights of stairs and corridors before they finally reached the darkroom. Charles knocked lightly on the door with his gloved hand and a man opened the door. He was in his mid-thirties and his face was dripping with sweat. He had dirty blonde hair covered by a grey ascot cap.

"Charlie!" The man said cheerfully, calling Charles. "Nick." Charles smiled widely at the man. "Who's this lovely lady?" Nicholas asked in a strong Irish accent. "Elizabeth Andrews. Call me Liz." She gave him a friendly grin and put out a hand for him to shake. "What's wrong?" She asked, concerned after he looked at her hand, unsure. "My hands are dirty, you see..." He held his hands out for her to see. True enough, his hands were stained with a mix of a pinkish-red colour and black.

Elizabeth giggled before gripping his hand and giving it a playful handshake. Her gloves were now stained as well. "Well...what is it you needed?" Nicholas asked, his grin widened after seeing that Elizabeth wasn't a snob like the other first-class passengers.

"Elizabeth here, has a roll of film here that she'd like to develop. Care to help her?" Charles said, holding up the roll of film he had taken from her un-stained glove. Nicholas looked down at his hands awkwardly and couldn't take the roll because his hands were dirty. Elizabeth took out a handkerchief from a hidden pocket in her dress and passed it to him.

He sheepishly took it after thanking her and took the roll of film from Charles. "Right. You could come back here in about two hours and it'll be ready." He smiled at the two of them, his smile lingering a little longer on Elizabeth before he retreated back into his darkroom.

Charles offered to escort her back to her stateroom, to which she gladly said yes to.

"One day, can I meet Sylvia? She seems like a really nice person." Elizabeth asked. On the way back to her stateroom, Charles went on and on about his wife whom he loved so dearly. He was never a talkative person but whenever Sylvia was brought up, it was as if he was a whole different person.

"I don't see why not." He grinned widely before they reached the room. "Thank you Lights. I suppose I'll see you soon?" She asked, giving him a sweet and friendly farewell kiss on the cheek before going back into her room.

It was already noon so Elizabeth had to ready herself for lunch. Later on, she would have to call on her father to get him to come out for lunch, if not he would stay in his stateroom all day, pondering over his blueprints and his notebook.

Clara helped Elizabeth to get ready. By the time she was done, Elizabeth was wearing a simple light lavender dress that went all the way down to the floor. It was short-sleeved, like most of her other dresses with a jewel neckline. As for jewellery, she chose a pearl necklace and a matching pair of pearl earrings. Her hair, as usual, was put up in a neat chignon bun and she used very little make-up to accentuate her facial features. She also donned on a pair of creamy white gloves that went up to her elbows.

"Well, I'm off, Clara. I'll be back soon!" Elizabeth smiled at her maid before walking out of the door. She knocked lightly on her father's cabin door.

Elizabeth waited several moments before the door finally opened. "Come in, Liz." Thomas gave her a warm smile as he stepped aside to allow her some space to go into the room. She returned his smile before walking into the room, settling down on one of the cushioned chairs in the room. "Just give me a minute, and I'll be right there with you." He said before going back into his study. Elizabeth sat there, lightly rocking back and forth. She reminded herself to go collect the developed photographs from Nicholas later after lunch.

Thomas came out from the study 5 minutes later, wearing his usual coat all buttoned up and his black leather notebook in his hands. "Ready to go?" He asked Elizabeth as he walked over to her, extending a hand to help her up. She took his hand. "Yes." She replied as the pair left the room.

"Did you receive my surprise last night?" He asked, leaning down a little so that their conversation would be audible. "Yes I did. Thanks daddy." She grinned widely and tip-toed to give him a peck on the cheek. "As long as you had fun, sweetheart." Thomas smiled back at her. "So who are we having lunch with?" She asked, a spring in her step as she walked next to her father.

"The usual lot, Molly, Mr. Ismay...and the DeWitt Bukaters." Thomas' smile faded a little as he mentioned the DeWitt Bukaters. Elizabeth. however, still had a grin on her face. She did not expect Caledon to be there, after the master-at-arms promised to take care of him.

The pair didn't speak much on the way to the dining hall and the stewards, as usual, helped them to open the doors. They met Molly on the way down the grand staircase, where the clock was currently pointed at 12.35 in the afternoon. "Well hello there Thomas, Lizzy." She greeted them with a Molly-like enthusiasm. "Molly." Thomas smiled at the lady. He offered her his free arm and she took it, laughing.

Thomas led the ladies to a table that could seat six. The others were probably not there yet. Thomas sat to Molly and she sat opposite Elizabeth. "That's a nice watch, Liz." Thomas commented, sipping on the tea the waitress just served them. "Thanks, Molly gave it to me as a birthday present yesterday." Elizabeth exclaimed happily, smiling at Molly. "You have good taste, Molly." He complimented her. "Why thank you Thomas, but actually-" Molly was cut off by a voice.

"There you all are!" The voice said loudly. Elizabeth turned, her face full of dread. Her fears were confirmed when she saw Caledon there, his hands on her chair. "We looked everywhere for you." He said, looking down at Elizabeth. He was about to take the empty seat next to her when Rose, from beside him, saw the plea in her eyes and quickly sat down in the seat. Caledon appeared a little shocked but none the less kept his cool and took the seat at the end of the table, next to Rose and Ruth sat down at the other end of the table.

After everyone was settled and had placed their orders, Elizabeth leaned in to Rose. "Thank you Rose." She whispered gratefully. "Don't mention it. After you helped me to pass Jack my note, I've owed you." The red-head smiled back. Throughout the meal, Rose and Elizabeth had conversations no louder than whispers and the two really bonded over their hatred of many things. Caviar, first-class snobs and corsets, so on so forth.

Towards the end, Caledon said something. "Well Elizabeth, it's been a real pleasure to enjoy your company during this meal." He said to spite her. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him and wiped her mouth none too gently with the corner of her napkin before she threw it on the table. "May I have a word with you outside, Mr. Hockley?" She said with a tinge of anger in her voice that was concealed pretty well.

Caledon smirked as he followed the brunette out of the room. Elizabeth grabbed his wrist roughly and slammed open the wooden door, almost crashing into one of the poor stewards. She led him out to the boat deck where there was hardly anyone there, since all the passengers were mostly in the cafes and restaurants having their lunch.

Elizabeth pushed him against the wall. "How the hell did you get out of those hand-cuffs?" She whispered loudly. Caledon chuckled, adjusting his coat. "What's so funny?" Elizabeth asked, furrowing her brows. "Oh my dear, dear Elizabeth..." He cupped her chin to which she jerked his hand off. "You seem to forget that a little money, goes a long, long way." He said, his smirk growing bigger.

"You will get your retribution one day, you bloody bastard." She spat at him before walking off. Caledon grabbed her hair and pulled her back to him. "How dare you speak to me like that, you bitch!" He nearly shouted at her. She struggled to break free out of his iron grip but it was no use as he grabbed onto her wrists instead and turned so that now he was the one cornering her.

"Let go!" She yelled. He held both her wrists together with one hand and used the other to cover her mouth so she couldn't scream for help. "Shut up!" He said angrily, pushing on her mouth with more force. Tears spilled out of her eyes as the pain started to sink in. His nails dug into her skin as he pushed even harder. He gripped her wrists so tightly she was sure that there were going to be bruises.

Elizabeth, as a last resort, bit as hard as she could onto Caledon's un-gloved hand.

Caledon cried out in pain and immediately let go of Elizabeth to cradle his injured hand. She seized the opportunity and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. It was unladylike to run but she had no choice. Gripping the ends of her dress so she wouldn't trip she kept looking back. She accidentally bumped into someone. The person didn't even flinch as she fell on him. Her hands on the man's chest, she looked up and saw Charles.

"Liz? Are you all right?" He asked, shocked to see her in the state she was in. He put his hands on her arms to stop her from falling over. Elizabeth ignored his question as she heard someone running from behind. Still in Charles' grasp, she turned and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh God." A fresh batch of tears fell down her cheeks. "Liz, get behind me." Charles moved her so that she stood behind him. She didn't protest as she put her hands on his broad shoulders, hiding behind him like a small child.

"Elizabeth, come here." Caledon scowled, panting heavily as he glared at Elizabeth. "Sir, I will need to ask you to calm down." Charles' voice reaching a low tone. "Don't you fucking dare tell me what to do." He narrowed his eyes at the officer, taking a step forward. "That's close enough." Charles said, his voice more fierce.

- Harry -

He was on watch, walking along the boat deck when he heard a commotion going on. He walked over to the other side and squinted his eyes to see Elizabeth behind Charles. Harry brisk walked over to them and tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder. She was jumpy and immediately turned. Charles noticed her movement and turned as well. "Harry!" He seemed relieved.

"What's going on?" Harry asked in a authoritive voice that Elizabeth never knew he had. "Mr. Hockley is harassing Miss Andrews." Charles summarised. "And what are you going to do about it?" Caledon asked in a threatening tone of voice, moving closer still. "I could have you arrested right here and now for harassment of another passenger." Harry said, putting a hand out to stop him, the other still on Elizabeth's shoulder.

Caledon's eyes shifted between the two officers and Elizabeth. Suddenly, passengers started to flood in from the ship and he knew that if he were to try anything, he would only be sullying his own name. "Fine." He said, looking them up and down before adjusting his coat again and then walking off the opposite direction, but not before sending a threatening glare to Elizabeth.

- Elizabeth -

All the while, she watched the scene unfold from behind Charles' shoulder. After Caledon left, she leaned against the railing, her hands going up so she could bury her face in them. She continued to sob, even louder now. "Liz..." Charles said, slouching slightly to touch her cheek. She yelled and at once, some of the passengers looked at them. "Nothing's the matter." He assured the gentlemen and ladies.

Elizabeth slowly slid to the floor, her hands trembling as they brushed past her bleeding cheeks. "Daddy..." she whispered. "Harry, go get Mr. Andrews, now." Charles said to the fifth officer who nodded his head before walking off. Charles couldn't do anything. Every time he tried to get anywhere near her, she would cower into the corner against one of the lifeboats.

- Thomas -

He was worried about his daughter, being left alone with that bastard, Caledon Hockley. About 15 minutes after she had left, Fifth Officer Harold Lowe came running in. He looked around and ran to his chair, almost tripping over his own feet.

"What's the matter, lad?" Thomas asked, his eyes full of concern. "Mr. Andrews, Elizabeth is hurt." He panted. Thomas stood up immediately from his seat. "Where is she, officer Lowe?" He asked in a firm voice. "Come this way." Harry led the way out to the boat deck.

Thomas burst through the door and looked around, spotting Charles leaning over. He assumed that was where Elizabeth was so he ran towards the second officer. "Mr. Andrews!" Charles gasped. "Liz? Liz, sweetheart, it's me." He said to his daughter in a quick yet comforting voice. No response.

He moved closer to touch her but she flinched again and screamed. He didn't care that there were many pair of eyes looking at him distastefully. He squatted down to her level to bring her out of the corner. She used her legs and kicked them wildly, flailing her arms to push him away, but with no luck. It pained him to see her this way. It brought back so many terrible memories. When she was a child, after she survived the sinking and her mother did not, she had so many nightmares that when he rushed into her room after hearing her screams and cries, she looked exactly like she did now.

Like before, Thomas could feel a solitary tear fall from his eye. Regardless of how loud she screamed, Thomas moved over to her and hugged her tightly, not letting go. After a while, she began to calm down and ease into her father's embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. "Charles, please tell Mr. Moody to come over to her room as quick as he can." He told the second officer who nodded and walked off with a reluctant Harry.

Thomas scooped his daughter up in his arms and he had been working out so she was relatively light. She didn't move her arms away as he lifted her up. Like when she was a child, he would carry her like this to his bed so that at least for the rest of the night, she would feel safe and even though she would appear fine the next morning, he knew what would happen after she went to bed. He looked down at her and his heart sank. Her hair which was in a bun was pulled out and messy as strands fell on her face. Her eye make-up was smudged by her tears and her cheeks were red with blood. By then, Charles had gone back to his watch, still a little worried about Elizabeth.

The passengers naturally made way for him and the stewards helped him to open doors. As he reached her stateroom, he knocked lightly on the door and Clara opened it shortly. "Oh my!" She gasped in shock after seeing Elizabeth. She moved over so that Thomas could put Elizabeth in her four-poster bed. "Send for the doctor, Clary." He instructed the maid.

"Yes, Mr. Andrews." She quickly curtseyed before walking off. By this time, Elizabeth was asleep, out of fatigue and Thomas sat next to her on the edge of her bed, kissing her fingers, not letting go of her hand.

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to ****C.M. Singer for your review****! What did you expect it to be like? I'm curious! Haha, but I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far! To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! ****Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello you beautiful people~ So, I finally updated! And watched Frozen! :D It's really good. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter! See you guys at the end of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 14 April 1912! This would be the second half of 14 April :) ( Psst... THE SINKING CHAPTER :D )**

- Harry -

Harry ran over to the officers' quarters and stopped just outside Jim's room. "Jim! Jim!" He banged loudly on his door. Like a few nights before, a very sleepy Jim opened up the door, dressed only in his undershirt. "Is this becoming a habit?" Jim joked, rubbing his eyes. ,

"Liz is hurt." Harry said seriously. Jim's eyes widened and he shut the door, throwing on his officer's jacket and buttoning it as he walked out. "What happened?" Jim asked anxiously. "Caledon. Caledon Hockley happened." Harry replied. Jim clenched his fists as the two men made their way to the girls' stateroom in silence.

- Thomas -

The doctor left about 10 minutes ago, leaving behind some ointment. Elizabeth was slowly stirring in her sleep. "Mm...daddy?" She croaked, her voice hoarse from crying. "Yes, yes I'm right here, sweetheart." Thomas said to her comfortingly, giving her a warm smile. "Where's...where's Jim?" She asked, trying to sit up. He helped her to sit against the bed frame. "I've asked Officer Lowe to go get him. Don't worry Liz, he'll be here." He held her hands in his.

"What...what time is it?" She asked. Using his free hand, Thomas checked his pocket watch. "It's half past 2." He told her. There was a knock at the door.

Clara went to go answer it. From the room, the pair of father and daughter could hear voices.

"Where is she?"

"In there."

The door to the room swung open and Jim was there, panting. "Liz!" He called out, running to her side. After Thomas got up from the bed, Jim nodded at him before taking his place, sitting closer to Elizabeth. "Jim!" She cried, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "There, there...It's all right..." He said, stroking her hair.

"We'll leave you two alone." Thomas said, bringing Harry and Clara out with him.

- Elizabeth -

She hugged Jim, her tears starting to well up in her eyes again. She needed him so badly when Caledon was hurting her but now wasn't too late a time either.

After a few minutes of lying in his embrace, Jim pulled away from her. Their hands were still on each other's arms. "Are you all right?" He asked. Elizabeth, smiling at the sight of him, shook her head, but the tears still fell. Jim frowned, lifting up his hands to cup her face in them. She flinched at his touch and it pained him to see her like this. "I must look a mess." She tried to joke, pulling his hands away from her cheeks so that she could wipe away her tears.

"No. You're beautiful. You always are, and always will be." Jim smiled at her, putting his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. Any last attempt to hide her tears faded away as she broke down, crying hard as she rested her head on his shoulder, pulling him into another embrace. Jim wrapped one arm around her, the other on her head, kissing her on the top of her head. He let a single tear fall from his eye. Seeing her like this broke his heart and she should never ever have to feel like this, he thought.

"Honey, please don't cry..." He broke away to kiss her on the lips sweetly, hopefully making her feel at least a little better. Elizabeth welcomed his comfort as she put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him back. "Feeling a little bit better now?" He asked, giving her a sympathetic smile. She brought herself to match his smile and nodded a little, tired out from all that crying.

Jim wiped the last of her tears away before lying down on the bed, but not before taking off his coat. "Come here." He opened his arms so that she could lie in his embrace. Elizabeth laid on his chest, listening to his stable heartbeat as she let the sound of it lull her to sleep.

- Thomas -

The shipbuilder brought Harry and Clara out of the bedroom, leading them to the couches and chairs. He took a seat next to the fireplace and the officer and maid took the two-seating couch directly opposite him. "Just to confirm my thoughts, the two of you are...together?" He asked the pair to distract them from Elizabeth. "What?" Clara looked up from her seat. "It's pretty obvious, you know..." Thomas gave the two of them a half-smirk. Harry smiled, putting an arm around the blushing blonde.

"Is it all right with you, Mr. Andrews? I mean... you are the closest she has to a father on this ship..." Harry asked him, eyes shining. "You seem like a good enough lad, I don't see why not." He smiled at them kindly, though his hands were fidgety, still worried about his daughter.

Harry took Clara's hands in his. "Don't worry, Mr. Andrews, I'm sure Elizabeth is fine. She's a strong woman." Clara tried to ease Thomas' worries. "Thank you, Clary." He nodded at her. Harry and Clara decided that Thomas would need some quiet and peaceful 'alone time' so they left the stateroom.

- Harry -

As the couple bid Thomas farewell, Harry opened the door to allow Clara to leave first before closing it behind him. "Would you like to take the air on the boat deck?" He asked her politely. "That'd be nice." She smiled up at him, speaking in her usual soft and gentle voice. He offered her his arm and she took it, leaning close to him.

They got weird looks from many of the first-class passengers. An officer together with a maid. Not exactly a match made in heaven, but all that mattered was that they loved each other, and that Charles or the other officers did not catch him skipping his shift. But then again, he could just say that Clara was only accompanying him on his rounds. Of course, Officer Wilde would not take that excuse very well...

They managed to make their way from the boat deck to the stern of the ship. Clara leaned against the white railings as Harry embraced her from behind, the two enjoying the breeze on their faces. His chin was resting on her shoulder. "This all feels like a dream..." She whispered.

Harry sucked lightly on her neck, which made her giggle. "Not in public!" She whispered loudly, lightly elbowing him in the rib. He chuckled."This is not a dream, I can assure you." He said, kissing her cheek. "What happens after the ship docks?" She turned around, looking at him with a tinge of worry in her face.

"Honestly, I have no idea." He laughed. "All I know is that I want to be with you forever, no matter what it takes." He touched the tip of his nose to hers, looking at her lovingly in the eyes. "I love you so much." She gave him a small smile before tip-toeing up to kiss him on the lips.

Harry smiled against her lips as he deepened the kiss. From behind him, they heard someone clear their throat. Clara opened her eyes and Harry turned around immediately. They saw Charles standing there, arms crossed, staring at them. They burst out into small laughter. Harry turned back to her. "I'll come find you sooner or later." He gave her a quick kiss before walking to Charles. As the two officers walked away, Harry kept looking back, stealing glances at Clara who did not leave until Harry was no longer in sight.

- Elizabeth -

Elizabeth slowly woke up. She looked down to see that she was still dressed in her purple dress. Earlier she had been upset about her...encounter with Caledon but when Jim kissed her and showered her with comfort, it was as if all that fright and worry had been cast aside. She looked beside her and saw that Jim was no longer there. She assumed that he had gone off for his watch with Will.

Elizabeth sat up in the bed, looking at the clock hung on the wall. It was currently nearing 5 in the evening. The photographs! She quickly got out of the bed and looked at herself in the floor-length mirror in the room. She straightened out her dress with her hands and re-did her bun. Seeing that her white gloves were stained from her earlier meeting with Nicholas, she took them off, laying them out on the end table next to the bed. She quickly grabbed her matching dark purple clutch bag before leaving, but not before using some make-up to conceal her cheek wounds.

She walked out of the room and saw Clara on the couch, reading one of her books. The maid heard the door open and close so she looked up. "Liz! Are you feeling any better?" She put her book down and walked over to her. "I'm just fine, Clary, thanks." Elizabeth smiled at her. "Are you going anywhere?" Clara asked, seeing how Elizabeth did not change into something more comfortable. "I'll only be out for a while. When I get back, I'll need your help dressing for dinner." Elizabeth said before leaving the room.

She slowly made her way to the photographic darkroom, roughly remembering the directions there. It was one thing to know where it was on the blueprints, but another thing entirely to know where it was in real life. She knocked on the wooden door lightly. She stood there for a while before the door swung open, shocking her a little. There Nicholas was, not really changing much in appearance since the last time she had seen him.

"Elizabeth?" He gasped, a little taken aback. "Yes, it's me. If I recall correctly, I mentioned that I would be coming back to collect my photographs, Nick." She laughed. "Right. Of course! Would you...like to come in?" He stepped aside. She smiled at him. "I'd love to, thanks." She walked in.

The room was tinted red and it was dim. "Right. Your photographs are here." He walked over to a corner in the room. 50 photographs were stacked up. Elizabeth picked up the stack. She looked through a few and stopped at the first one that she and Jim took together. Nicholas noticed this. "Well...Are they any good?" He asked. Elizabeth grinned widely at the tall Irish man. "Yes, very much, thank you."

She put the photographs back down and opened up her bag. She took out a $10 note and passed it to him.  
**( A/N : Just a side note, $10 in that time would be equivalent to $250 in today's currency if I'm correct. )**

"What's wrong?" She asked. "I can't accept this much money." He said. Elizabeth giggled. "Just take it!" She took his hand and opened it, shoving the money there before closing his hand up into a fist. "Thank you very much, Elizabeth." Nicholas looked at her gratefully. "It's all right, Nick. I'd better be on my way. I hope to see you again before the ship docks." She smiled at him once more before taking the stack of photographs and walking out of the door, leaving Nicholas standing there in a daze.

Elizabeth left the stack of photographs on her vanity table, hopefully remembering to pass them out to Jack, Will, Charles, Harry and Jim sometime later during the voyage.

- Clara -

Clara helped Elizabeth pick out a cardinal red coloured dress that touched the floor. Elizabeth never really did like dresses with trains. The sleeves were elbow-length and little ribbons were tied at the end of the short sleeves. It had a sweetheart neckline, like most of her other dresses, and the bodice had little black gems sewn on it. That particular night, she felt a little more daring and chose to forgo a corset. That dress was particularly tight so it wasn't that obvious since she was wearing a camisole as well.

Clara helped her to braid her long brown hair in a side French braid, putting a hairpin shaped like a wisteria flower on her chocolate brown hair. She wore a pair of diamond studs, her mother's necklace and the timepiece Molly gave her over a pair of black wrist-length leather gloves. She topped-up the make-up used to hide her wounds. "You look beautiful, Liz." Clara smiled at Elizabeth in the mirror. "Thank you Clary." She hugged her maid before leaving the room to go get her father out for dinner. By then it was already close to half an hour after 7 in the evening.

**( A/N : The wisteria flower symbolizes welcome and playful spontaneity :) much like Elizabeth I hope! )**

She lightly knocked on the cabin door a couple of times before the door opened. "Liz!" A smile spread across Thomas' face. As usual, he let her in and went into his study to grab a couple of things as she sat on the couch, waiting for him. He came out, now wearing a grey wool coat, in his hands his signature black leather notebook. "Shall we?" He offered his arm. Elizabeth grinned at him, taking it as the pair left the room.

"So, who are we having dinner with?" She asked. "I was thinking that we could have dinner alone tonight. Just the two of us. Think of it as a...replacement birthday dinner." He smiled down at her. Her grin grew wider as she squeezed his arm as a form of affection.

The stewards opened the doors for the two as they thanked them. They continued down the grand staircase, sharing jokes and their experiences on the RMS Titanic so far. "I haven't told you tonight, but you look wonderful." Thomas complimented her. "Thanks daddy. I would say the same...but you look no different from the last time I saw you!" She giggled. He chuckled from beside her.

They got into the restaurant and were seated at a two-seater table next to the window. Placing their orders, both salmon, they set the napkins on their laps and sat there, smiling at each other, not talking much. They would occasionally chat about how the ship was designed but when Elizabeth brought up her aunt Augustine, the table was quiet again. The food arrived shortly after.

"Daddy? I just wanted to let you know that I love you. Thanks for letting us have this private time for dinner." Elizabeth smiled at her father, trying to ease the tension. "No worries. I enjoy every moment I'm with you even more than I do with the others." He whispered across the table, making her laugh again.

- Harry -

Harry was wandering around the boat deck at about half an hour before 9 at night, breathing in the fresh air when he saw Jim walking around, hands behind his back that showed he was on watch. He walked up to the Sixth Officer who acknowledged his presence with a nod and a smile. "Isn't your watch over already, Jim?" Harry asked him. "Remember our poker games last night? Will and I lost to Herb and Joseph so we had to take their shifts." Jim pouted. "I pity you." Harry laughed, patting Jim on the back before leaving for his cabin to get some rest.

- Elizabeth -

It was a little after 9 at night when the pair of father and daughter left the restaurant, giving the waiter a good tip. "Should I escort you back to your room for the night?" Thomas asked Elizabeth as they stood at the end of the grand staircase. "It's all right daddy. I might want to walk around for a while. I'll go back myself." She smiled at him. "All right then sweetheart. Good night." He gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead before he disappeared up the grand staircase.

Truth be told, she had no idea what she wanted to do or where she wanted to go. She just knew that there was nothing for her to do back in the stateroom so she chose to wander around the ship instead. Then it hit her. She might as well go and visit her new-found friends Jack and Harold, the wireless operators up in the "Marconi Room". She just hoped that they would not turn her away.

Making her way there was pretty easy, seeing how she had been there before. She remembered the operators' schedules and knew that Jack would be on duty at this time. She knocked on the wooden arch, saying hello to them. Jack head shot up and he straightened his posture, giving her a smile. "Come on in, Liz!" Harold called from behind a curtain. Elizabeth walked in and sat on her usual seat next to the curtain.

Harold came out a few moments after, adjusting his tie. She assumed that he got dressed after he heard her knock because the buttons on his navy blue vest were all done wrong. She couldn't hide her giggle. Harold raised an eye brow before looking down to see his vest buttons. "O...Oh!" He turned around and quickly adjusted them.

"So what brings you here, Liz?" Jack asked, still tapping away. "Nothing much. Just that I didn't want to go back straight after dinner." She shrugged her shoulders and Harold got out another wooden chair to put next to her so he could sit down. "Well it's nice to have some lady company once in a while, especially if your partner's Jack Phillips." Harold joked. "Well you're not that fun to be around either, Bride." Jack smirked as he wrote something down on paper.

"Do you know how to play Tiddlywinks, by any chance?" Harold asked casually. Jack groaned. "Oh. My. Gosh. I DO!" Elizabeth almost screamed, eliciting a louder groan from Jack. "Do you wanna play?" The junior operator exclaimed, almost sounding like a child. "You have the mat and everything now?" She asked. Harold responded by getting out a tin box out from under the bed behind the curtain.

**( A/ N : Tiddlywinks is a game that was really popular in the 1890s apparently. A very brief how-to-play : using tiny discs called 'winks', the players, usually 4 but 2 can play as well, would use a custom-made thing ( squidgers. a player can have as many as they want ) to help propel the winks into a little cup or pot. This game doesn't really play a important part in the story but you guys can go read up on it if you want to :) ) **

"You can use red and blue. That's what Jack always uses. As for squidgers, do you mind if she uses yours, Jack?" Harold asked innocently. "'Course not." He replied, not looking at them. "Great!" And so began the two's game of Tiddlywinks.

Forty minutes into the game, Jack called Harold. "Harold? Harold!" He said, irritated. "Mmm?" He barely replied. "You do know there is a stack of iceberg warnings waiting to be sent up to the bridge right?" Jack asked, pointing to a stack of papers on the desk. Harold wasn't looking. "I'll get it up later. Shouldn't be that important." He was engrossed in the game.

Eventually, the iceberg warnings were forgotten. It was currently twenty minutes after eleven and the three of them didn't even realise. Harold and Elizabeth only stopped their game when too many of their winks were 'abducted' by Jack. Every time they flipped it towards the general direction of Jack, he would swoop down and collect them. The game just irked him to no end. Ever since they had any free time, Harold always pestered him to play Tiddlywinks with him.

"Well boys, I think it's time to call it a night." Elizabeth yawned. Harold pouted slightly as he kept all the winks, squidgers, felt mat and pot in its original tin box. Harold quickly packed up and stood up first, reaching a hand out to help Elizabeth up next. "It's been a pleasure playing with you Harold." She gave him a long, friendly hug which he returned. "Good night!" She gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before leaving the wireless room to return to her own stateroom.

By the time she got into the room, Clara had already been fast asleep in her bed. Suddenly Elizabeth wasn't tired anymore. She walked over to her promenade deck and took a seat on the chair. She thought about Jim and all the precious moments she had spent with him over the past few days, smiling and giggling to herself. But then, she also started to think about some other unfortunate events, mainly everything Caledon did. As she put a hand on her cheek, she flinched at the slight pain. Elizabeth started to cry, thinking about it. Every single time he managed to best her, she felt so helpless and always had to rely on other people's help. She wanted to be independent, not having to rely on anyone but she always ended up the damsel in distress. Her cries unknowingly got louder, loud enough to wake Clara up.

"Liz?" A soft voice called out. Elizabeth quickly looked up and saw Clara walking towards her. "Liz, darling what's going on? Why are you crying all alone in the dark?" She asked, concerned, as she sat next to Elizabeth on the deck chair. "I...I just feel so...useless! So helpless, always needing people to help me in doing EVERYTHING! I rely on people much more than they'd like, I'm going to presume" She ranted, crying even harder. "Look, even now I'm relying on you to cheer me up. " She laughed sarcastically.

"Oh Liz...some people WANT you to rely on them. It's a form of care. I would hate if you didn't need to rely on me anymore. Come to think about it, should that day come, I would lose my job." Clara laughed. Elizabeth giggled as well, letting her friend wipe away her tears. "Thank you Clary." Elizabeth said sincerely, looking at her in the eyes as she held her hands in hers. "No problem, Liz. You've cheered me up way too many times to count, it's time I repaid the favour."

As the two girls stood up, ready to go to bed, they felt a sudden tremor. Their eyes widened as they wondered what it was. They heard a faint sound of something hitting something else and felt the ship slowly come to a stop. At once, they knew something was amiss. "Clara, go get dressed." Elizabeth said seriously. "Yes, Liz." Clara nodded her head politely before quickly going back in to change into her maid uniform.

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to rebeccajoleneaumanwilson and lilyp23 ****for your reviews****!  
rebeccajoleneaumanwilson : thank you so much! I'm really happy that you're proud of this story!  
lilyp23 : thank you for your review!**

**Also, I did research popular games that ( if you were to count back in time ) would be fitting as a childhood game for Jack, Harold and Elizabeth. I picked Tiddlywinks because it sounds cute~ But guys...the sinking is happening!**

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! ****Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello all you wonderful people~ I'm back with another chapter! Haha, I re-watched Titanic again and loved every second of it :) Like seriously, I can never ever get tired of watching that show! Oh well, I'll keep quiet for now! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 14 April 1912! This would be the third part of 14 April :) I know I said 2 halves but I thought I would add in a third part of 14 April. ( Psst... THE ACTUAL SINKING CHAPTER :D )**

- Will -

It was currently twenty minutes after 11 at night. Will was near the wheelhouse, on watch when Jim came up next to him. "It's really clear and cold out." Jim commented, rubbing his shoulders to generate heat and keep warm. The two officers could literally see the clouds of breath leaving their mouths. "Yes..." Will said, looking far out into the calm ocean. "Jim, would you be so kind to get me a cup of tea?" Will continued, smiling at the junior officer. Jim groaned. "Fine." He walked off to go get his senior officer his tea, knowing it was no use arguing.

- Jim -

He held the saucer holding the teacup and was careful not to spill it on the way up. As he neared the wheelhouse, he heard the sound of the phone ringing non-stop. He quickened his pace a little and answered it after it rang twice.

"Is there anyone there?" Jim heard Frederick Fleet's panicked voice ask over the phone.

"Yes, what do you see?" He responded calmly.

"Iceberg, right ahead!" Fleet cried.

"Thank you."

Jim ran to the door and opened it, "Iceberg, right ahead!" He yelled to Will, who ran to his side, both hands on either side of the door frame of the bridge as he gave the order 'Hard to Starboard' which Jim repeated loudly. Hichens, who was at the helm turned it swiftly, his face full of concentration.

Meanwhile, Will ran to the wheelhouse to run the engines full astern. As he was rushing past Jim, he knocked into his shoulder, causing all the tea to spill but that was the least of their worries. "Turn! Turn! Smartly!" He said to Hichens from the wheelhouse.

"Hard over!" Hichens said to Jim. "Helm's hard over, sir!" He passed the message quickly. Will then ran back out to see what was happening, Jim watching from behind him. "Is it hard over?" He frantically asked Jim again. "It is. Yes sir, hard over." The Sixth officer replied, still holding the tea cup and saucer in his hands.

"Come on. Come on. Turn. " he muttered under his breath as he watched the ship move, sweat dripping down the side of his face. The two officers heard as a fellow crewman shouted "It's gonna hit!" from the bow of the ship.

Hichens, in the bridge, had his hands on the helm still. Due to a mixture of his fear and the impact of the collision, his hands shook violently as the iceberg scrapped the starboard side of the ship. The next order was given out by Will. "Hard to port!" He hollered. Jim repeated it to Hichens who turned the helm the other direction. The first officer watched as the a small part of the iceberg broke into many blocks that fell onto the deck of the ship. He immediately ran back to the bridge to close all the watertight doors. After the iceberg had passed, Will was still in a state of shock. "Note the time and enter it in the log." He said stiffly to Jim.

The wooden door behind them opened and the captain walked in. "What was that, Mr. Murdoch?" The bearded man asked his first officer. "An iceberg sir." He replied almost breathlessly. Captain Smith turned to look out the window. " I put her hard to starboard, and ran the engines full astern, but it was too close. I tried to port round it, but she hit. And I-" Will's explanation was cut off by the captain. "Close the watertight doors." He instructed. "Doors are closed, sir."

"Find the carpenter and get him to sound the ship." Captain Smith said. "Yes, sir!" Will quickly replied before dashing off to find him.

- Jim -

He waited anxiously in the bridge for Mr. Andrews to come. As the shipbuilder walked into the chart room and laid his blueprints down on the table, securing the corners with a gold paperweight, Bruce Ismay walked in as well. "This is most unfortunate, Captain." He said.

"Water 14 feet above the keel in 10 minutes" Jim couldn't make out what he was doing for sure since his view was blocked by several officers, but Thomas pointed to various parts of the ship on the blueprint. "in the forepeak, in all three holds, and in Boiler Room 6." He finished almost breathlessly, seeing as he rushed up carrying heavy scrolls of blueprints.

"That's right, sir." The Fourth Officer, Joseph Boxhall confirmed.

"When can we get underway, damn it?" Bruce said, irritated.

"That's five compartments." Thomas said, raising his voice. He was annoyed at Mr. Ismay but he was resisting so badly to tell him to shut up. He looked at the Captain. "She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached, but not five. Not five." After a moment, he continued. "As she goes down by the head, the water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads at E deck, from one to the next, back and back. There's no stopping it." He made gestures on the paper to show him.

"The pumps. If we open the pumps, we-" The captain's suggestion was cut off by Thomas. "The pumps buy you time, but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic, will founder." As he finished, he felt Bruce staring at him in disbelief. "But this ship can't sink!" He said.

"She's made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. And she will. It is a mathematical certainty." The shipbuilder explained sadly.

"How much time?" Captain Smith asked, eyes wide, still trying to process the information. "An hour, two at most." He broke the news. Bruce looked as if he was about to faint. "And how many aboard, Mr. Murdoch?" Captain asked the first officer, not looking at him. "2,200 souls on board, sir." He said as Chief Officer Henry Wilde walked into the room.

"Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay." The captain said. He gave out orders to uncover the lifeboats and all the officers immediately moved into action.

Jim was at a loss for words after the sudden turn of events. All he knew was that he had to find Elizabeth to tell her what was going on. He knew that if he held it off any longer, there would be orders to get the lifeboats ready and to instruct the passengers to put on their lifebelts and report to the boat deck immediately. He had to get to her before he had to do his duty as an officer.

Jim roughly remembered where the room was as he went down to A Deck and brisk walked until he reached cabin A-34. He knocked on the white door quickly and the door opened, revealing a worried Elizabeth. "Jim!" She gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him close. He wrapped his around her waist. They parted after a few moments.

"What's going on, Jim?" She asked in a low whisper, seeing as it was close to midnight and she did not want to wake anyone up. "The ship struck an iceberg. The Titanic will sink in an hour or two." He said seriously, putting his hands on her arms. Elizabeth gasped, speechless.

"Officer Moody?" Another voice called. They both turned to see Third Officer Herbert Pitman there. "Captain Smith has sent out orders to uncover the lifeboats. Get up on deck as soon as you can. And Miss? Please dress warmly, put on a lifebelt and go up to the boat deck immediately." His gaze alternated between Elizabeth and Jim before he rushed off to do as he was ordered. Under normal circumstances, he would comment about them in physical contact but it wasn't exactly a normal circumstance, seeing how the ship was sinking.

Jim's attention was back on Elizabeth. "I'll see you later. Get Clary and yourself dressed and I'll see you up on deck." He said to her quickly and as he was about to leave, Elizabeth pulled him back for a quick kiss. "Stay safe." She said, smiling lightly at him. "You too." He grinned widely at her, hastily pecking her on the forehead before rushing off.

- Elizabeth -

Shocked, Elizabeth went back into the room, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the wooden door with a hand cupped over her mouth. "What's wrong Liz?" Clara asked, concerned. She was dressed up in her maid uniform, complete with the white apron and bonnet. "The ship is going to sink as it collided with an iceberg. She only has an hour, two at most." Elizabeth finally said, looking at the maid.

"What?" Clara asked in disbelief. "There's no time to waste. Come now, I'm going to assume we'll need to wear the thickest coats we have." Elizabeth said. "R...right. I'll be right back, Liz." Clara curtseyed quickly before going into the wardrobe to get out their warmest coats. Elizabeth, on the other hand, went to her bedroom to get some important things.

She picked out a big clutch bag which was small enough to fit in a coat pocket. She went over to the vanity table and took the whole stack of photographs, gently shoving it into the bag. She then opened a few drawers, taking out as much of her expensive jewellery as the bag could hold. Of course she didn't forget to put her pocket watch in one of the hidden pockets on her dress. She even double-checked the pocket between her dress' neckline and her corset **( A/N : You know when those movie stars pull things out of their bras )** to make sure that the pocket watch Jim gave her was secure and would not fall out.

At that time, Clara came into the room with two lifebelts and two thick coats hanging off her arm. "Liz, I got the jackets!" Clara exclaimed, walking over to Elizabeth. She helped her to put on a thick, black, wool coat before putting on her own, putting something into her coat pocket, something that looked like a book. Clara obviously did not want to leave behind her book.

"Let's go." Elizabeth nodded at Clara as the two girls walked out of her bedroom. They were about to leave when Elizabeth stopped them after taking a glance at one of the tables. She ran over to it and grabbed the small leather notebook that Thomas gave her and shoved it into her coat pocket. "Let's go now." Elizabeth held Clara's hand as they left the cabin, each taking one last look at the stateroom that they knew they would never ever see again.

- Jim -

Jim had been uncovering the lifeboats with the other crew members. He had been pulled away many times by many of the first-class passengers, all inquiring about what was going on. His answer was the same every time. "We're getting ready to load the passengers into the lifeboats." He didn't want to tell them that the ship was sinking, neither did he want to tell them that it was only a lifeboat drill, when it so obviously was not.

- Elizabeth -

Elizabeth had just gotten out onto the boat deck with Clara. She checked the time. It was five minutes after midnight. She caught sight of Jim and pulled him aside.

- Jim -

Someone else just pulled his arm out of the crowd. "We're getting ready to-" He almost gave that same answer, assuming it was another first-class passenger asking why they were out in the cold at such an ungodly hour. "Liz!" He was pleasantly surprised. "Where's Harry?" Clara asked from beside them.

"Now that you mention it, he doesn't seem to be here...I thought he was with you!" Jim's eyes widened as he answered Clara. "Perhaps he's still...sleeping?" Elizabeth suggested. "We have to wake him." Jim stated the obvious. "I'll go." Clara offered, immediately walking off. "I'll go with her." Elizabeth smiled at Jim before rushing off to follow Clara.

- Clara -

She was walking down the deck when Elizabeth caught up to her, walking beside her. They quickly entered the officers' quarters, making their way to Harry's room. Clara knocked lightly on the door. She knocked REALLY lightly. You could almost say she didn't make a sound. "Oh for God's sake Clary!" Elizabeth banged so loudly on the door that Clara thought she would break it down.

A very sleepy Harry opened the door in a few minutes. His hair was awfully messy and his shirt was unbuttoned. Clara blushed while Elizabeth cleared her throat, looking at his well-toned core. "Oh, sorry!" He gasped, turning to adjust them. "There's no time for that. The ship struck an iceberg. In an hour or two all this will be at the bottom of the Atlantic. The captain gave the officers orders to uncover the lifeboats." Elizabeth said firmly.

"Well...Okay." Harry stared at her in shock. Judging by the noise he heard outside, he figured that she probably wasn't lying so he closed the door to change into his full officer's uniform. "Clary, I'll be heading out first. Find me on deck." Elizabeth put a hand on the maid's shoulder, smiled at her before briskly walking off.

Elizabeth walked right past the Marconi room, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She walked back to the Marconi room, seeing Jack hard at work, tapping away. Harold stood behind him, deep in thought.

"Harold?" She walked in and put a hand on his shoulder. "Liz!" He jumped a little in shock. "I came to say goodbye just in case we didn't cross paths again." She frowned at him. Harold leaned down and hugged her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'm really going to miss you." She said softly. "None of that talk. We're all gonna make it out of this, you hear me?" Harold pulled apart to smile at her.

Elizabeth gave Harold a half-hearted smile before walking over to a hardworking Jack. Harold followed her. Jack knew she was about to say something so he took off one side of his headphones, but did not stop working. "Harold, Jack, you two are one of the best friends I have ever made so far in my life. Even though we've known each other for a little over a day, you've created a lasting impact on me. I really wish the both of you all the best and...and..." She thought about the possibility that she may never see these two jokesters ever again and started to sob.

Harold took her in his arms again, frowning. Jack held back tears. Granted he didn't know these two people for a long time but they had grown on him, taking up a special place in his heart. The three friends stayed like this for a while. They didn't realise it was nearing 12.30 am.

"Come on now, Liz. You've got to go back out. Find a lifeboat and get on it immediately." Harold said, giving her a comforting smile as he wiped away her tears. Elizabeth smiled back at him before walking to Jack, hugging him from the side and giving him a peck on the cheek. He looked at her and gave her smile and a kiss on her forehead before going back to tapping away.

Elizabeth went back to Harold. She tip-toed and pressed her lips to his cheek as well. "I'll be waiting to play Tiddlywinks with you after all this is over." She joked, wiping away some more tears. Harold hugged her one last time before he watched her walk out of the Marconi room.

**( A/N : From here on, I'll add in what time it is so that you guys can have a clearer visualisation of what's going on. Please tell me if it helps or if I should go back to making the time unknown' )**

- Elizabeth -

12.40 am

Elizabeth walked out to the area around Lifeboat 7. "Clary!" She called out, soon joining her maid's side after spotting her. The two ladies stood there, watching Harry work when he suddenly turned to them. "Clary, Liz, get in the boat." He said. "Are...are you getting on?" Clara asked him with wide eyes. "Not anytime soon." He replied honestly. "I'm not leaving without you, Harry." She said softly but firmly. "Please Clary... I can't work without knowing that you'll be safe." He pleaded with her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Nothing you can say is going to make me get off this ship without you." She replied with resolute.

"All right then. But stay close to me and don't wander off." He said reluctantly. "Okay guys...I have to go find Jim. Do you know where he is?" Elizabeth cut in. "He should be at the port side." Harry replied. "Can I follow her?" Clara asked innocently. Harry started to laugh. "What did I just say about staying close to me?"

"Come on Harry. It's just opposite the ship. Plus, the ship isn't even going down yet." Elizabeth reasoned with him. "Fine. But if you're not back in twenty minutes, I'm going off to search for you." Harry said, touching Clara's cheek gently. "Got it." Clara smiled a little at him before Elizabeth and her went off again.

- Augustine -

12.50 am

She walked out onto the boat deck, not sure why they had to conduct a lifeboat drill so late into the night. Two crew members walked past her. "...believe the ship is sinking..." Augustine heard clearly. The ship was sinking! She thought that there was a possible chance they were lying or just talking rubbish but she herself could feel the slight tilt of the ship. It was a very subtle tilt but she was a sharp woman. She initially had her doubts but the conversation between the two men confirmed her worst fear.

Way in front of her, she saw Elizabeth and her maid, Clara walking in her general direction. Suddenly, an idea popped in her head. Maybe this ship sinking wouldn't be so bad after all.

- Elizabeth -

12.53 am

Elizabeth and Clara, hand in hand, almost made it into the interior of the ship when a hand was on Elizabeth's shoulder. She turned to see her aunt Augustine, crying. At first she felt sympathetic towards her, seeing the older lady cry really tugged at her heartstrings. But then she remembered what the same older lady had done to her best friend and the look of pity on her face quickly turned to a 'lady are you shitting me' kind of expression.

"What do you want?" Elizabeth asked coldly. "My photograph of Helen and I is...still in my stateroom." She replied, sobbing into a laced handkerchief. "How is that our problem?" Elizabeth's voice was full of scorn and was serious. "Please...Please come with me to retrieve it...please..." Was all Augustine could say.

"You have hands and legs, I'm sure it's not that far of a walk." Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her aunt and was about to head into the ship but Clara pulled her back. "What is it Clary?" She asked her friend with a warm expression. "We can't just leave her." The soft-hearted maid bit her lower lip, looking at the crying woman. "Are you fucking me Clary? Have you forgotten what she did to you? Must I slap you again to get your senses working?" Elizabeth looked at her in disbelief, even swearing so angry she was.

"Liz...I'm helping her, with or without your help." Clara said to Elizabeth, standing her ground. Elizabeth looked at her for a while, contemplating whether or not to listen to her ludicrous idea. "Clary, you are crazy and I don't know why I'm doing this." Elizabeth said, shaking her head as she walked into the ship, Clara and Augustine following closely behind her. Little did they know someone else saw them go back in.

1.00 am

"Thank you..." Augustine kept on repeating as if it was a chant as the trio walked down the labyrinth of corridors, reaching Augustine's stateroom in no time. The older woman took out her cabin keys from one of the pockets of her coat. "All right lady. Tell us where the photograph is." Elizabeth said, her voice unfeeling. "In...in the bedroom." She said, her tears clearing up.

Elizabeth and Clara disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Augustine at the entrance. As soon as the lady saw that her niece and her maid were no longer in sight, she continued carrying out her plan. She quietly walked over to the seating area, pulling a wooden chair out of the room. She also made sure to jam the knob, so that it could not be opened from the inside.

Augustine looked around to make sure that there was no one left in the hallway before she silently and cautiously locked the door with her keys, putting the chair under the knob to be sure that they could not get out at all. She then regained her composure as best she could and walked back out onto the deck, casually throwing her keys off the ship as she walked.

- Elizabeth -

1.08 am

Clara and herself had practically turned the room upside down but there was no sign of the photograph anywhere. "Are you sure your photograph is here?" Elizabeth asked as she walked out of the room. Augustine was no longer there. "Uh...Augustine?" She walked around the whole cabin trying to find her aunt but she was nowhere to be found.

"What is it Liz?" Clara asked as she joined Elizabeth. "She's not here anymore." Elizabeth stated. "Maybe she found the picture and went out first. Come on, let's go." Clara shrugged and held Elizabeth's hand and the two girls walked over to the door. Elizabeth turned the knob but it just wouldn't budge. She let go of her maid's hand and tried again to no avail. "Clary? I think she locked us in." Elizabeth said, turning to face the blonde, colour slowly draining from her face.

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to rebeccajoleneaumanwilson and the guest for your reviews!****  
****rebeccajoleneaumanwilson : You're very welcome :) One of the greatest parts of being a writer is inspiring others :)**  
**guest : thank you for your review!**

**DUN DUN DUN Suspense everywhere! The mean old aunt Augustine locked the two of them up after tricking them :O Do you guys hate her yet? But guys...the sinking is ACTUALLY ACTUALLY happening! In fact, the next chapter :) I'm not lying this time.**

**At this point in time, I'd like to remind EVERYONE that this story at some parts may NOT be historically correct so some people who actually lived MAY die and likewise. :) Muahahahaha...**

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**So. I've been away for 5 days! Miss me? *cheeky eyebrow wiggle* Haha, here's the next chapter! I didn't really know how to make the sinking "THAT" tragic so I'm sorry if it was a little too 'light' for you guys! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 15 April 1912! ( Well, technically it is, since it's in the morning of 15 April )**

- Harry -

1.08 am

He checked his wrist watch. It was long after the twenty minutes that Clara was supposed to come back and he was getting very worried. By then, he had helped to launch two lifeboats. "I'll be right back Will." He told the first officer before rushing off to the port side of the ship to find Jim and ask about Clara.

- Jim -

1.10 am

Jim was helping to load the lifeboats when Harry tapped him on the shoulder. "Good timing, Harry. Where is Liz and Clary?" Jim asked the fifth officer casually. Harry's eyes widened. "Aren't...aren't they here with you? They said they were going to find you!" He started to panic. "We have to find them." Jim said. As he was about to walk off, Harry pulled him back by the collar. "Jim, you're the only one in charge of launching this lifeboat. I'll find them instead." Harry explained. Jim opened his mouth to protest but realised that Harry had a good point. "...all right then." Jim gave up as he turned to continue loading the boat, anxiety in his mind.

- Harry -

1.11 am

He was walking back into the ship rather quickly when he was stopped by Thomas. "Mr. Lowe, where is Clara and my daughter?" Harry looked down at his feet. "I'm not very sure myself, Mr. Andrews, I-" He was cut off by a somewhat cheery voice. "Do you mean...Miss Elizabeth Andrews?" Harold Bride, the Marconi operator asked them from the side. "Yes." they both said, turning to him.

"I saw her go back into the ship with two other ladies. I think- Oh wait! There's one of those ladies now!" He pointed to a first-class lady who walked around, quite wary of her surroundings. A sharp eye could tell she was anxious about something.

"That's her aunt, Augustine." Thomas walked towards her after thanking Harold, Harry right behind him. "Augustine. Augustine!" The shipbuilder called out. The dark-haired woman turned her head sharply to the side to see her brother-in-law walk briskly towards her. She felt her heart rate quicken. "Have you seen Liz?" He asked her seriously. "No, I...I don't think I have seen the girl. Wonder where she's run off to again." She replied, laughing slowly and her eyes widening as her gaze shifted to anywhere but him.

He knew immediately from that and her fidgeting with her gloved fingers that she was lying through her teeth. "Don't lie to me, Augustine." Thomas said, his voice now stern. "I...I just told you! I don't know!" She cried, a little too loudly. "Augustine, tell me now, and I'll forgive you." He suspected that she did something bad, telling by the obvious signs. "Tell. Me. Now." He gripped her shoulders firmly, but not tightly.

"I already told you, I don't know where she is, now if you will excuse me." Augustine shook his hands off and tried to walk away but Harry stopped her with an outstretched arm. "W...What is going on here?" She asked, looking Harry up and down. "I'm not beyond threatening the information out of you. I would even throw you over this ship if I had to." Thomas said, staring at her straight in the eyes, enough of all her bullshit. "I...I'm not telling you no matter what you do. Come on, throw me off the ship, see if I care." She crossed her arms over her chest, as if challenging him.

"Mr. Lowe, you heard her." Thomas stepped closer to Augustine, not looking at Harry. "What...What do you think you're doing?" Harry took a few steps closer to the lady as Thomas put his hands around her knees. There was a little frenzy on deck so no one took much notice of what he was doing. He was so strong that he lifted her right off the ground. "Stop! Put me down!" She put her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him away but failing miserably.

Thomas, in fact, did not put her down. Instead, he walked closer to the edge of the deck wall. "Wait! Stop! I'll...I'll tell you where she is." The shipbuilder put her down, glaring at her coldly for an answer. "She and...the maid...are in my stateroom." She looked away, now full of guilt. "Why?" Harry asked from beside him.

"I...might've...locked them in." She looked down at her fingers, playing with them. "You what?!" Harry almost yelled at her. "Well...Where's the key?" Thomas asked. "I...might've thrown it into the ocean." Harry took off running. Thomas shook his head at his sister-in-law before following the fifth officer.

- Clara -

1.18 am

She slumped down, leaning against the wall next to the door with her head in her hands, sobbing quietly. Elizabeth was in front of her, pacing up and down while wondering how to get out of the room with the ship fast sinking. "I'm so sorry Liz..." Clara kept muttering, annoying Elizabeth more every minute.

"Clary!" They heard a muffled yell and both their heads snapped up. "Clary!" That same voice yelled again, now banging hard on the wooden door. "Harry!" The blonde recognised the voice and stood up to press her ear against the door to make sure she wasn't imagining things. "Thank God." She heard him say on the other side.

All was silent for a while until a force struck the door so hard that Clara pulled her the side of her face back to caress it. "You know, you could have warned us!" Elizabeth said loudly, annoyed as she wrapped her arms around her friend's head. "Sorry, sweetheart." The voice was different now, and she recognised it to be her father. "Daddy?" She called out. "Yes, it's me. You two might want to step aside, we're going to bust the door down." He replied.

- Harry -

The shipbuilder and the officer took turns to try and break the door down. It wasn't until the last time Thomas did it that the door slammed down onto the floor, revealing Elizabeth and Clara, looking at them in shock and awe. "Clary!" Harry cried before walking over to the maid, engulfing her in an embrace, which she returned lovingly.

"Daddy..." Elizabeth said softly, close to tears as he walked towards her, giving her a huge bear hug, making her feel safe in his arms. "Mr. Lowe, get back onto the boat deck and load the boats. I'll take care of Liz and Clary." Thomas instructed, knowing that the officer had a duty to do. Harry nodded at the naval architect before looking back down at Clara. "I won't be too long, I'll see you soon. Be safe." He smiled at her before giving her a quick peck on the cheek and running out of the stateroom.

- Thomas -

"All right girls, we need to get you two lifebelts." Thomas said seriously. The girls did not complain as they saw the man walk into the closet and come out with two lifebelts on his hands. "Put these on." He instructed them. He shifted between the two ladies, helping them to secure the white flotation device over their heads and around their waists. "What about you?" Clara asked. "I'll pick one up on the way. Now, quickly, we need to get you girls on a lifeboat right away." He was about to walk out when Elizabeth spoke.

"Not you too...Daddy, we will get into a lifeboat, just...not now." She said awkwardly. "Let's just get up on deck first, shall we?" He said, not wanting to believe what she just said. The girls followed him up to deck, not saying a word.

- Thomas -

1.22 am

"Sweetheart, I need to settle some pressing matters first. Get on a lifeboat and I'll see you in New York, all right?" He stroked his daughter's cheek. She nodded up at him before giving him a hug. He hugged her back, pain on his face as he struggled not to cry. He also managed to slip a note into her coat pocket without her knowing.

"I'll see you soon, then." Elizabeth beamed at him before she held Clara's hand, running off down the deck. As Thomas watched her run, he smiled to himself, letting a solitary tear fall from his eye.

- Jim -

Jim had been filling up boats and launched one no less than two minutes ago when Harry got to work on lifeboat 14 next to him. When he asked about Elizabeth and Clara, Harry told him that the girls were with Thomas Andrews so that put the sixth officer at much ease.

He had been standing around for a second when he heard his name being called out. "Jim!" He turned sharply and saw Elizabeth running towards him, her hands holding up the ends of her dress so that she would not fall. Like before, no one noticed Elizabeth doing the most unladylike actions because there was frenzy and panic on the deck.

Jim opened his arms wide and Elizabeth practically jumped on him, almost making him fall. "Are you all right? I'm so sorry...I should've been there..." He looked away, but his arms were still wrapped around her. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're here now." Elizabeth put her hand on his cold cheek and turned his face so that he was now looking back at her.

- Harry -

Harry was once again reunited with Clara, a brief hug was shared. "Clary, you and Liz should get on this boat." He told her. "I'm only getting on if you are." She said back. Charles was nearby getting the passengers to stay back and heard the exchange of words. "Mr. Lowe, man this boat." He said, sneaking a small smile at the couple while he was reloading his pistol. Harry nodded at him in thanks before telling Clara to go and get Elizabeth, although he was fairly sure she would not leave without Jim. As the blonde walked, she could hear Harry reassuring the people in the boat.

"Liz! We have to get on lifeboat 14." Clara said to Elizabeth after making her way through the crowd to find her. "I'm not leaving without you." She looked back at Jim, eyes pleading with him. "Liz, you have to go. Now." He told her, trying to control his tears. He wasn't planning on leaving the ship so this would technically be the last time he would see her. Ever. "No, I'm not leaving you!" She cried, letting a few tears roll down her cheek slowly at the thought of leaving Jim behind.

"Liz, get in the boat. Please, don't make this anymore harder than it should be." Jim frowned at her. "Jim, no!" She clung on tighter to him, burying her face in his chest. He lifted her chin up with a gloved finger. It pained him to see her cry and he now knew what he had to do. With one hand, he pushed her head against his chest and used the other to apply pressure on the pressure point at the back of her neck.

Jim braced himself as he felt her weight fall completely on him. "What did you just do?!" Clara asked, panicked. "She's unconscious now, but she'll live. Tell her...I'm sorry." Jim looked down at the brunette in his arms while talking to Clara. "Why can't you just get on a boat with us?" Clara asked, sad as well. After all, Jim was a friend.

"I have a duty to carry out. I can't abandon everyone else who needs me." He told her firmly as he picked Elizabeth up in his arms. Clara led the way back to Harry's boat. "What happened to Liz?!" Harry asked, shock painted all over his face. "Clary can tell you later, but help me get her into the boat." Jim said quickly, passing the girl he loved to his best friend who was already in the boat. The fifth officer also helped Clara in.

"Pass this to her for me." Jim took a folded piece of paper and passed it to Harry who shoved it into his coat pocket. "Thank you Harry." Jim smiled at him before walking off, disappearing into the crowd. Harry kept calling his name out, but there was no reply, save for all the screaming people. He didn't have too much time to dwell on this. The lifeboat was being lowered away.

Harry was standing on the boat, Clara seated in front of him with Elizabeth's head resting on her lap. There normally wouldn't be enough space for Elizabeth and Clara to sit like that but the people on the boat were nice enough to move a little for them. "Stay back, you lot! Just stay back!" He yelled at the people trying to jump onto the boat. One hand was holding onto the rope, the other a revolver which was pointed loosely at those who were not listening to him. Harry raised his arm and shot three bullets into the air to quieten them down.

Clara looked up at him. She knew that he had no choice but it didn't stop her from being afraid of the sound the bullets being fired made. He looked back down at her and tried to give her a comforting smile but it looked so forced that Clara just looked down at Elizabeth, in her arms.

- Clara -

1.45 am

"We're c..coming back, right?" She asked him, her teeth chattering. Harry was now seated opposite her, clasping his hands together as two men at the tillers took it upon themselves to row the boat under Harry's instructions to row at least 150 yards ( 140 m ) away from the sinking ship. "Y...Yes dear, we are c...coming back. We just have to...have to row away first. As much as I h...hate to admit it, they will s...swamp the boat." He replied, trying not to show her that he was cold.

2.18 am

Clara sat there, stroking Elizabeth's hair, hoping that her friend would wake up sometime soon. Harry was looking for lifeboats in near range to tie together so that he could go back and rescue people later so Clara did her best not to disturb him.

Suddenly, a loud snap could be heard. Slow at first, but the speed of the snaps grew faster and faster, louder and louder. Everybody in the boat, including Harry, had their eyes glued onto the Titanic, on the edge of their seats wondering what might happen next. It was this time that Elizabeth started to stir. "Wha...What?" She croaked. Elizabeth's voice was hoarse from the icy winds. She followed suit and looked at the sinking ship and sat upright, putting her hands to her mouth.

The people on Lifeboat 14 watched in shock as the Titanic snapped in half right in front of them Many women buried their faces in their warm coats and gloved hands, while others wept, thinking about their men who most likely did not survive, this was now clear to them. Clara could feel hot tears form in her eyes as Harry wrapped his arms around her, muttering words like 'hush' or 'it will all be over soon'. The side of her face leaned into his chest and his hands covered her eyes protectively.

This left Elizabeth to sit there, alone, looking at her father's masterpiece and hard work sinking right before her very eyes. It was then she realised that neither her father nor Jim was on the boat with her. She could only assume with the optimistic half of her heart that they had gotten on another boat and that she would see them again in New York, although the other half truly doubted that possibility.

Elizabeth watched as the RMS Titanic sank down into the ocean. She didn't realise as Harry gathered a few other boats together.

"Now, bring in your oars over there." Harry instructed to a few crew members and passengers, now standing up in the boat again with a torchlight in his hand. "And tie these two boats together as well."

"Now, make sure that's tied up nice and tight." He looked down at Clara who gave him a small smile. Harry smiled back before turning back to the others.

"Right, listen to me, men. We have to go back. I want to transfer all the women from this boat into that boat right now. As quick as you can, please. Let's create some space over there. Move forward and out." As his instructions were being carried out, he squatted down to Elizabeth and Clara's level. "I don't suppose you two would like to come with my boat?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Elizabeth's eyes were blank and as he spoke, she slowly turned to look at him, almost ghastly.

"I have to go. Jim and my daddy might be there." She whispered. "If she's going, I'm not leaving her side." Clara smiled up at Harry who nodded in response. All together, there were nine people in lifeboat 14 going back to rescue other passengers, including Harry, Clara and Elizabeth.

The girls sat on either side of the boat and looked around for anyone alive, but keeping an eye peeled especially for Thomas and any other officers. "Oars! Do you see any moving?" He asked aloud. "No sir, none moving, sir." One of the crew replied as Harry continued to shine his torchlight. "Check them!" The fifth officer replied.

"Bring that oar up here." One of them said. "Check them, make sure." He told them carefully. "These are all dead, sir." A man replied after bringing up one frozen lady to double-check that she was no longer...with them. "Now give way, ahead easy." Harry instructed. Elizabeth and Clara kept their eyes peeled but no one was moving at all. They didn't see any movement in the water except for ripples made as the boat was being rowed.

"Careful with your oars. Don't hit them." Harry said. "Is there anyone alive out here?" He yelled out. "Can anyone hear me?" He frowned as there was no reply. "Is there anyone alive out here?" Harry continued to yell until he saw an infant frozen in its mother's arms. That struck him. "We waited too long." There was tears welling up in his eyes but he tried not to let them fall out. "Well, keep checking them! Keep looking!" He cried out to his crew. "Is there anyone alive out here?" "Can anyone hear me?" He continued to yell out, hoping that he could rescue at least a few passengers.

"Clary, there's...there's...they're not here..." Elizabeth let a few tears run down her rosy cheeks. "Not to worry Liz, I'm sure that they're both all right..." Clara tried to reassure her friend, although she herself wasn't so sure of the authenticity of her words.

"Hello! Can anyone hear me?" Harry cried out, not giving up. "There's nothing there sir." One of the crew told him.

There was total silence, until it was broken by the faint sound of a whistle. Elizabeth's head immediately turned and she was about to tell Harry when she realised he had also caught onto the sound. "Come about!" He yelled, turning around to face the source of the whistle. The boat started to row to where the noise was coming from when they saw them.

"Rose! Jack!" Elizabeth tried to scream, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper. The cold was getting to her already. Rose was grabbing on a deck chair, blowing the whistle while Jack was floating his own little piece of debris. She didn't get in the way of the crew members who helped to hoist the couple up onto the lifeboat, one by one. They gave each of them a warm blanket. Eventually they laid down at the side of the boat.

"Henry..." Harry said from beside them. Elizabeth moved over to where he was and saw. Her hands went up to her mouth. She didn't know the chief officer personally but it was still a pity to see him, frozen as he lay on a deck chair. "We can't just leave him here." Harry shook his head. They all tried to pull his on board, but he was too heavy and they suspected his legs were clutched and tangled somewhere in the folded deck chair underwater. After Harry had a moment of silence for one of his fellow officers, he continued to move on in search of more survivors to rescue.

Elizabeth couldn't say she was happy about Henry's death, more that seeing Rose and Jack get saved gave her a glimmer of hope, even though slim, that she might just find her father and her beloved Jim.

-5.45 am -

Elizabeth's hands were in her pockets and as she took them out to rub them together, hopefully generating some warmth, a folded piece of yellow paper fell out of the left pocket, falling onto the ground next to her. She picked it up and opened it, inside a note from her father.

_Dearest Elizabeth, _

_Please do not resent me for what I am about to say. I sincerely apologize, for I have lied to you. I truly doubt that you'll see me in New York. You see, I initially planned to go down with the ship, the moment the news of its sinking reached me. It pained me to see you run off, but I trust that you'll be in good hands after I'm gone. James is a good man. He will take care of you, I'm sure. My dear girl, don't be sad that I did not make it. Know that I love you dearly and I am watching over you, wherever you are. Both your mother and I. Good luck, my beautiful princess, with everything. _

_Yours Lovingly,  
Thomas Andrews  
12.57am_

Elizabeth was speechless. She had no idea how to react. Her beloved daddy didn't make it. He didn't even try. He's gone. For good. She didn't have high hopes of finding Jim either. And with Clara and Harry that much in love, soon, the whole world would move on but leave her behind. Sure they would offer to put her up and support her for a while, but she couldn't rely on them forever. For the very first time in her life, she felt alone. There wasn't anyone she could turn to for help anymore. Elizabeth started to cry again as she brought her knees up to her chest, burying her head in her knees as she sobbed silently, all by herself.

- 7.13 am -

Clara was in Harry's warm embrace as the boat drifted about, to nowhere in particular. Over the night, they managed to save five other people, but they did not see Jim or Thomas at all. Elizabeth had given up all hope she once had and all the tears she could possibly shed had already been wept as she sat there in silence, staring out into the open sea. Clara and Harry both tried to comfort her, but she showed no response whatsoever.

She shoved her hands into her right pocket, since it was freezing and poked something hard. The notebook! She took it out and opened up the first page and saw a message penned neatly on it, in her father's beautiful, cursive handwriting. By then, she really did not want to read it, seeing how depressing his last note to her was but she told herself 'Why not? It might make you feel better!'. She was so wrong. Elizabeth started to read :

_Dearest Elizabeth,_

_Happy 20th birthday! I hope you've had a blast on the RMS Titanic so far. I truly do hope that you like this little present I've given you. It's no diamond necklace but I know you love to write and draw so I thought this would be a suitable gift. Now you can have your own 'little black notebook'. I really hope you don't mind the lack of grandeur in my gift. I know sometimes you may feel lonely as I travel quite a fair bit, but I want you to know that I will always be there for you. You have grown to be a fine young lady and I'm sure your mother up in heaven is very proud of you. Here's to wishing you a very pleasant birthday and that I would be able to accompany you on your birthday for many years to come. I love you very much, my dear Elizabeth._

_Signed with all my love,  
Thomas Andrews  
13 April. 7.39am_

The corner of the page was wet, smudging the time which she could barely make out. Elizabeth realised that she had caused that. After reading the note over and over again, she was lost for words for the second time that day. What hurt her the most was the second last line. _'Here's to wishing you a very pleasant birthday and that I would be able to accompany you on your birthday for many years to come.' _

This was cruel. This was fate mocking her. This was her crying again even after she promised herself she would stop. From beside her, Clara crawled out of her officer's grasp and went forward to try and hug her friend, but as she was about to wrap her arms around Elizabeth's sad form, Elizabeth flinched and moved off to another corner of the lifeboat, leaving Clara both confused and hurt.

Harry placed a comforting hand on Clara's arm and that was when he caught sight of the nearing vessel. He took out some green flares and stood up on the boat, waving it about while calling out for help. Clara, seated at the side of the boat, fiddled with her fingers as she was unsure of what to do or say to her friend.

- 7.16 am -

By then, there was a ladder hanging down from the RMS Carpathia to help the passengers of Lifeboat 14 up onto the ship. Harry had Jack and Rose and the others they rescued in the night to board the ship first since Clara and Elizabeth did not mind waiting.

Elizabeth went up the ladder next. She didn't require as much help from any of the officers or crew members to climb aboard so as soon as she got up, she waited in a corner for Clara and Harry to get up. Clara smiled at Harry as he got down on one knee to prop her up with his hands so that she could better climb up the ladder. Soon, it was Clara and Elizabeth sitting side by side on the deck floor to wait for Harry.

"May I take you ladies to a stateroom to rest?" A steward asked them from above. "Just take her, I'm waiting for someone." Clara told him as she gave Elizabeth a small smile that was not returned. The friendly steward gave Elizabeth a smile as he offered a hand to help her up, which she took.

They were about to walk off when she suddenly felt like her legs turned to jelly. Elizabeth was about to fall when the steward caught her in his arms before she touched the wooden floor. "Miss, are you all right?" He asked concerned. "Yes, I guess my legs are just...a little numb. Nothing to be worried about, thank you." With his help, she got back up on her feet, although he still had an arm around her to make sure that she didn't fall. She didn't complain.

"What's your name?" She asked him politely. "Jasper Bennett. May I ask you for yours, miss?" He asked in return, flashing her a boyishly adorable smile. "Elizabeth Andrews, but please call me Liz." She replied, returning his smile. "A first-class couple gave up their stateroom, which is the one you will be staying in until the ship docks. Please do enjoy your time here on the RMS Carpathia and you can find me should you require any assistance." They stopped outside a room.

"You sure are formal, Jasper." Elizabeth said to him. "Does it bother you? I'm sorry, I'm just so used to talking this formally." He laughed awkwardly. "Oh yes, if you see my friend again, or Fifth Officer Lowe of the Titanic, please tell them to come find me in this room." She told him, her smile not leaving her face. "Definitely, Miss-Elizabeth." He corrected himself. She gave his hand, which she previously held onto, a little squeeze before he left her.

Elizabeth went into the stateroom. It was pretty nice. Its size was nowhere near comparable to her suite on the Titanic but at the point in time, she would have been happy even if she was given a bench on the deck to sleep on. She walked over to the bed and sat on it, sighing to herself. Taking out her clutch bag, she opened it to take out the stack of photographs she had developed on the Titanic.

She went through them, smiling sadly as she remembered those happy times she had spent on the Titanic. There was a photograph of Charles carrying her princess style, another of Harry kissing Clara's cheek, Will and Charles with their hands draped over each others' shoulders and last but not least, the first picture she took with the camera. Jim's arm was wrapped around her waist and hers was around his shoulder. They were both smiling brightly.

Elizabeth started to shed tears again. She missed Jim so much it hurt. But she could not bring herself to wonder what might be if he was...dead. She knew for sure that her father was dead but did not know about Jim. What scared her the most was the possibility that Jim did not make it and that she would truly be left alone, forever. Elizabeth looked at the end table next to the bed and saw an empty photo frame sitting on it. It was brown with gold trimmings at the edges. She took it and slotted in the photograph of her and Jim before smiling at it.

She then laid down on the bed, staring at the photo frame as she cried herself to sleep.

**Aww :( Sadness. Sadness everywhere. Did that make you guys sad? Haha, I know in many other stories, Thomas Andrews gave his daughter his notebook or something along those lines but I swear that I came up with that idea even before reading those stories . **

**Also, something to share. In the James Cameron movie, if you look closely at the group that went back with Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, you'll notice that one of the men ( the one on the bottom left side ) is actually wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Weird much? 1. It's freezing outside so I don't know who in their right mind would wear something like that 2. Do they even wear short sleeved shirts in 1912? I don't think so.**

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to May, Vanessa Taylor, alexandriakailynxx and rebeccajoleneaumanwilson for your reviews!****  
********  
May : Thank you for reading and enjoying this story :) I really wanted to emphasize how good Elizabeth and Clara's friendship was so I'm glad you liked that! Again, I'd like to share with all of you why Augustine doesn't really love Elizabeth, even though she is her niece, as the story progresses if I have the opportunity. ( psst. It's mostly Thomas' fault ) All in all, thank you for reviewing!**

Vanessa Taylor : Thank you for reviewing and that beautiful compliment to this story! It's so cool that you actually met one of the survivors! I would have loved to but...yeah. It was nice of you to not forget the people who actually passed on that night. RIP to all those people.

alexandriakailynxx : Thank you for your love and review! Thank you for your feedback on the timings as well! :D

rebeccajoleneaumanwilson : Thank you for loving this story and for your review as well! Merry Christmas to you and your family too!

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D  
rebeccajoleneaumanwilson's review reminded me to wish you all a Merry Christmas!~**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey all! So I'm back with another chapter! I know this one is SUPER short but I needed somewhere to stuff my cliffhanger :( Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 15 April 1912! ( Well, technically it is, since it's in the morning of 15 April )**

(A/N : You guys can listen to Brian Crain's Song For Sienna if you want extra feels :) )

- Elizabeth -

- 9.10 am -

The light sleeper was awakened by knocks on the stateroom door. Her tired eyes fluttered open and she got out of bed, trudging her way to the door. She opened the door after hearing the muffled voices of Harry and Clara on the other side.

"Liz..." Clara smiled sadly at her friend. "Come in." Elizabeth said, her voice devoid of emotion. She moved aside to give them space to come in. The three of them sat on one of the couches. "How have you been, Liz?" Clara asked. "As fine as you'd expect me to be." Elizabeth looked away. An awkward silence hung in the air until Harry broke it.

"Before we left the ship, Jim told me to give this to you." Harry fished around in his pocket until he managed to grab onto a folded slip of paper, surprisingly not wet from the events of the night. He passed it to Elizabeth who took it unexcitedly. "Hopefully it can raise your spirits a little." He tried to give her a little smile of comfort but she didn't see it.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and unfolded the palm-sized piece of paper and read :

_Hey there Elizabeth! The times we've spent together on the Titanic has been the best few of my life. Remember that time you asked me what we'd do after the ship docked? What I'm about to tell you, I need you to be strong. I am a ship's officer. My duty as the ship is sinking now is to make sure most of the people get out of this ship alive. It is my own decision to stay behind and load the lifeboats with a few other officers. Please don't hate me for what I choose. I also do not expect you to forgive me. I want you to stay strong and take care of yourself. Be that stubborn, strong-willed girl that I met on 10 April. Just know that wherever I am right now, I'm looking down on you, and looking out for you. I love you to the ends of the Earth. - Jim._

Elizabeth's hands were shaking. So it was true. Jim would not make it after all. The tears came naturally and she crushed up the paper, throwing it to one side. Her vision was blurred as she got up from the seat to run to the bedroom. Unfortunately, in her hurry, she tripped over her own feet and fell to the floor.

"Liz!" Clara rushed over to her on the floor and knelt beside her. "No! Stay away from me!" Elizabeth yelled in her friend's face as she continued on to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her and locking it as she slumped down to the floor in despair.

- Harry -

When Elizabeth threw the crushed paper onto the floor and Clara went to go and comfort her, Harry went over to the paper and picked it up, skimming through the contents as his eyes widened. No wonder she was so distressed. He heard the slam of a door and looked up to see Clara kneeling on the floor. He knelt down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder as he passed her the paper.

"Oh...Harry..." Clara put her hands to her mouth as Harry enveloped her in a hug. She was sad that the officer did not make it, but was ultimately depressed for her friend. "I think it's best for her to be alone for a while." The fifth officer helped the maid stand on her feet as they walked over and took their seats on the couch again.

"Oh, right. Mind telling me why Elizabeth was unconscious when Jim passed her to me?" He asked her, his arm now wrapped around her tiny shoulders, pulling her close to him. "My...my best guess is that he knocked her out. She was resisting pretty strongly to get into the boat." She answered softly. "Jim..." Harry muttered to himself, shaking his head at his friend's foolish action.

- Elizabeth -

She let herself cry freely as she sat on the carpeted ground, her knees brought up to her chest as she buried her face in her hands. She was truly alone now. The thought of going on with life without the two most important men in her life made her cry even harder, so much so that her eyes started to burn and she choked on her own tears.

Elizabeth picked up her dress and walked over to the photo frame on the table. She brought it up to look at it. Her fingertips touched Jim's face gently and she yelled angrily as she threw the brown frame at the wall, causing the glass to shatter into a million shards on the floor. She got down on her knees and sobbed to herself, covering her face once more with gloved hands.

- Clara -

Clara was in Harry's embrace when they both heard an unsettling scream followed by the sound of glass shattering. "Liz!" She stood up immediately and ran over to the locked door, turning the door knob so many times that it might have broken off but it wouldn't budge. "Call for help, Harry!" Clara cried out to the officer who nodded curtly before running off to get the keys from a steward.

"Liz, please don't try anything silly...Liz?" Clara said, her voice full of worry as she placed her ear to the door to listen for any sounds or response. None at all. She stood there in silence for a while before Harry came back with a young steward, bronze keys in his hand. "Quickly." Clara told the steward as she moved aside to let him open the door. They were shocked by the sight before them.

**DUN DUN DUN CLIFFHANGER! If you want the next chapter, REVIEW!**

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to May, Vanessa Taylor, alexandriakailynxx and rebeccajoleneaumanwilson for your reviews!****  
********  
May : Your review just...it's so overwhelming. Words can't express what it means to me. To see a reader to absorbed into the story I wrote to be able to come up with such a thoughtful and long review just warmed my heart and I even shed a tear or two. ;) I'm glad that you liked my portrayal of the sinking and that you think that Harry and Clara were sweet! I was afraid that people wouldn't like their relationship! Thank you for your review and Merry Christmas to you!**

**rebeccajoleneaumanwilson : Aww, thank you so much for adoring this story! Also...DON'T SPOIL THE STORY! Haha, thank you for your awesome review! Merry Christmas!**

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D  
Merry Christmas to all!**


	16. Chapter 16

**HELLO EVERYONE! Miss me? I was planning to hold this chapter back for a little while more :) But I thought it would be a nice Christmas present to all of you! Thanks for all the support! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 15 April 1912! ( Well, technically it is, since it's in the morning of 15 April )**

- Clara -

- 9.45 am -

She gasped and ran over to her friend who was seated on the floor, her back leaning against the bed. "Liz? Liz!" Clara lightly patted her cheek to wake her up. When they found her, Elizabeth's left wrist was bleeding profusely and all colour was drained from her face. A shard of glass was in her right hand. She must've been grasping it pretty hard since her palm too was bleeding.

"We have to get her to the doctor on board." Clara cried out to the two men. "Go get the doctor on board ready. I'll take her there. Also, please find someone to help clean up this mess." Harry instructed the reluctant steward who nodded eventually and left the room quickly. Clara immediately took off her apron and ripped it into two, passing one half to Harry. "We need to first stop the bleeding. Using the cloth, apply pressure onto the wound." She told Harry who followed her instructions, placing pressure on her wrist while Clara did the same to her bleeding palm.

"Good, now raise her hand up. It'll help stop the bleeding." Clara did not look up as she showed the perfect example. They were at it for at least ten minutes, after which the bleeding must've stopped. Clara looked around for a piece of cloth to tie around the wound and settled for two napkins on the end table beside the bed, folded neatly. Her nimble fingers hastily tied the cloth around the wound. The cut on Elizabeth's palm ceased to bleed while the one on her wrist still continued to bleed.

Harry picked Elizabeth up in his arms, making sure she was secure before he stood back up. Clara stood beside him and continued to apply pressure onto her wrist wound. The couple had a steward lead them to the doctor's office and they were there in less than fifteen minutes.

- Elizabeth -

- 11.30 am -

Slowly, Elizabeth opened her eyes. The source of blinding light was the circular window just above the left side of the bed which was pressed up against the wall. She instinctively lifted up her left arm weakly and almost physically flinched at the sight of the ugly stitches on her arm.

"Liz." She heard someone call her, and a warm hand grasped her right hand from under the blanket. She turned and saw a concerned Harry leaning over. "Thank God you're awake. Let me go get Clara." He gave her one last smile and a light squeeze on her hand before he left the little white room, leaving her to her own thoughts.

She didn't know what to do, except stare at her surroundings. The room wasn't very big, but apparently it was big enough to have a few other beds, separated by a white curtain. She could tell that there were other people in the room by the occasional coughs. She couldn't help but wonder what she would do after the ship docked in New York. With no relatives to rely on and no family business to fall back on, she could only depend on herself. Her train of thought was disrupted by the sound of a door opening. "Liz!" Clara rushed to her side and sat on the edge of the bed, holding Elizabeth's weak hand in both her gentle ones.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, smiling at her friend. "A little light-headed, but I'll live." Elizabeth said softly before looking at the window. "Why did you do what you did?" Clara asked, now frowning. "Why do you care?" She said bitterly, seeing how fortunate Clara was, as compared to her. "Because I'm your friend! I care about you!" Clara answered, obviously hurt by Elizabeth's question.

"You wouldn't understand the pain I'm in." Elizabeth said, her voice emotionless. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong!" A tear fell from Clara's eyes.

Silence. Elizabeth closed her eyes again, slowly drifting back to sleep. "Let me escort you back. You need some rest too, Clary." Harry helped Clara up and left the infirmary, leaving Elizabeth in the bed to rest for a while more. The doctor was nice enough to let her stay on the bed.

- Harry -

- 12.45 pm -

The journey back to the stateroom was fairly silent. Clara did not want to talk and Harry did not know what to say. "Get some rest. I'll come visit you again later." Harry made sure it was just the two of them in the hallway before he kissed her on the forehead and pulled her in for a warm embrace, after which she disappeared into the stateroom again.

Harry made it a point to get a steward to bring Clara some lunch. She must've been hungry.

He walked back out onto the deck, looking at the various survivors of the sinking as they sat on the wooden floor, melancholic. He walked over to a steward with a clipboard in his hands. "Can I make a few inquiries about a few passengers and crew members?" He asked politely. "Definitely, Mr..."

"Harold. Harold Godfrey Lowe. Fifth officer of the Titanic." Harry said slowly so that the steward could take down his name. "Right, ask away." Said steward looked up at the officer, ready to check the names. "Miss Augustine Barbour, first-class." He asked about Elizabeth's aunt first. "Yes, she is onboard."

"I'd like to report two other women from first-class who made it." Harry added. "Miss Elizabeth Law Barbour Andrews and Miss Clarissa Elsie Hayes." After the steward scribbled down their names, he gestured for Harry to continue asking. "As for the crew members, may I just see the list of officers? There are only eight of us." The steward nodded and flipped through a couple pieces of paper before passing the clipboard to Harry.

_Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller  
Third Officer Herbert John Pitman  
Fourth Officer Joseph Groves Boxhall  
Sixth Officer James Paul Moody  
Fifth Officer Harold Godfrey Lowe_

Harry's eyes did a double-take on the list. One name in particular caught his eye. _Sixth Officer James Paul Moody. _He couldn't believe it. Jim made it. Jim survived the sinking! He had to find him. "Do you know-" He was cut off by someone yelling his name. He turned.

"HARRY! Thank God you made it! Come on, the officers are having a meeting with the Carpathia officers and her captain!" Charles came over and quickly dragged him away. "Nice to see you too, Lights. Is Jim there?" Harry asked his friend. "Sadly, no. He's currently in the infirmary. I'll tell you the story along the way." Charles sighed.

- Elizabeth -

- 3.20 pm -

Elizabeth had been awake for at least fifteen minutes, unsure of what to do next. She was seated on the bed, pillows propped up behind her to make her more comfortable. "Are you by any chance a survivor of the sinking?" She said to the person on the other side of the curtain, her voice barely recognisable. She was having a very bad sore throat. The cold had been terribly unforgiving the night before.

"Hello? Is anyone there? On the other side of the curtain?" She asked again after there was no response. She was beginning to feel very lonely. "Y...Yes... Sorry, I didn't know you were talking to me. Are you?" A male voice responded. "Yes, I am." There was a silence that hung in the air for a while and Elizabeth spoke up again, to break the almost uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding in your privacy but...did you...did you lose anyone in the sinking?" She asked, her mind immediately thinking back to Jim. "No, I was boarding the ship alone. How about you?" He replied.

"I lost two of the most important people in my life last night." Elizabeth swallowed back tears. "I...I'm so, so sorry." He said apologetically. She wished so badly that Jim would be there, to hold her in his arms again. She started to sob. "M...miss? Are you all right?" The voice asked her. "Not...not really." She managed to say through the tears. Her voice was muffled and hoarse. "But I'll live, eventually. Thank you for your concern, stranger. I'm...kind of tired now. Maybe we can chat some more later." Elizabeth wasn't tired at all, in fact she was bursting with energy after lying in bed for so long, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about what happened anymore so she turned to face the wall and cried silently.

- Clara -

- 6.10 pm -

It was evening, sometime around six, by the time she stopped reading the book she had brought along with her from the Titanic. Harry was still not back yet and neither was Elizabeth. She contemplated on going to find her, but given the way she had been reacting to the maid's comfort, she was convinced that Elizabeth did not want to see her.

It hurt her quite badly. They were as close as sisters just a few days before but Elizabeth was bitter that the one who meant the most to Clara survived whereas her own close ones died. Clara couldn't have prevented their deaths but she couldn't have felt guilty for it. It wasn't her fault. She leaned back in the soft, cushioned couch as she sighed aloud.

The door at the entrance opened to reveal Harry, whose weariness showed through the worry lines on his face. "Where were you?" She asked him casually. "I met up with the other officers and Captain Arthur Rostron, captain of the Carpathia. And...Jim survived the sinking." He told her. "That's...that's great! We have to tell Liz!" The officer nodded at her with a small smile. "But...I think you should rest first. You look exhausted." Clara felt bad. She was so excited at once she didn't notice how tired Harry was.

"Are you sure?" He asked her. "Yes, I am. We'll go get Liz from the infirmary and tell her the good news after you've gotten some rest." She smiled up at him as she put her hands on his chest. Harry leaned down to give her a kiss. "Thank you." He gave her another short, sweet kiss before he went to the bedroom and laid down on the bed, out like a light.

Clara saw that he still had his whole uniform on. She helped him to unbutton his coat and take off his visor cap, setting them aside so that they would not get crumpled. Harry did not stir in his sleep the whole time. After she was done, she leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek before she left the bedroom to most likely continue reading her book.

- Elizabeth -

- 7.45 pm -

Elizabeth looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. Personally, she was starving but she didn't want to find Clara and Harry to ask them for some food so she used her mostly uninjured right arm to sit herself on the bed. She rolled down the sleeves of her dress to hide her wounds. "Hey...You awake?" She asked the man from 'next door'. No response. She assumed he was sleeping so she quietly got out of bed and snuck out of the infirmary, unseen by anyone.

Elizabeth wandered the halls for quite a while. The Carpathia was nowhere near comparable in size to the Titanic but its hallways were long and big enough to allow the brunette to get lost. Suddenly, at the end of the hallway, she saw a familiar face.

She picked up her dress and brisk walked over to the man who had not yet seen her.

"Jasper? Jasper!" Elizabeth called out. Her throat, which was still not feeling very well, caused her voice to go no louder than a whisper. "Elizabeth? What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting. Would you like me to get your friends for you?" He asked, concerned. "I couldn't stand lying around doing nothing anymore. Also, there's no need to call them. In fact, if you see them, tell them you haven't seen me. But I am pretty hungry. Do you know where I might be able to get some food?"

"Well...the mess hall is quite a few decks below. How about you wait up on deck and I'll bring you some food to eat?" He offered kindly. "That sounds really nice." Elizabeth smiled at him. As Jasper was about to leave, she put a hand on his bicep which made him turn to look at her again. "Thank you so much, Jasper." She said sincerely. The steward smiled back and nodded politely before disappearing down the halls again.

Elizabeth wrapped the blanket she had snagged from the infirmary earlier tightly around her as she walked out onto the deck. The icy winds bit at her exposed skin which sent shivers down her spine. Nonetheless, she would not go back to that room to get a coat or anything like that. She didn't feel like seeing Harry and Clara. In fact, she just did not want to see the maid. Harry had lost a good friend so he could understand a little bit of her pain but Clara had everything.

She took a seat on one of the benches and stared up at the night sky. It was rather quiet. The passengers were likely having dinner inside the warmth of the ship while the survivors were probably grieving in a corner, not disturbing anyone. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze when suddenly she heard footsteps. Thinking it was Jasper, she opened her eyes again but it was not.

"Elizabeth? Is that you?" A lady said. Elizabeth recognised her and the blonde man next to her almost immediately. "Hello Rose, Jack." She patted the seats next to her on the bench as she was in the middle. They each took a side. "How have you been? I'm so sorry about Mr. Andrews." Rose said, her voice sympathetic. "Thank you. Did you two lose anyone?" Elizabeth asked, accepting the thanks.

"I lost my best pal Fabrizio. Met him a few years back and he's stuck with me through thick and thin." Jack spoke up, giving Elizabeth a small smile. "I lost my maid, Trudy. Before Jack...and you and Mr. Andrews, she was the only person who ever cared for me, for me and not my money. She was very dear to me, that girl." Rose smiled to herself, probably re-living a happy memory of Trudy's company.

"I'm so sorry for your losses." Elizabeth looked down at her fingers. "It's quite all right Elizabeth. Anyway, Jack and I are at this stateroom. You can come find us anytime." Rose scribbled something down on a paper with a pen, both of which she found in her coat before passing it to her. The three of them stood up. Rose gave Elizabeth a warm hug. Jack awkwardly shook hands with her. A second later, Jack pulled Elizabeth in for a friendly hug.

Elizabeth sat back down on the bench as she watched the unlikely couple walk down the deck, hand in hand. The sight made a tear fall from her eye. She missed Jim more than ever. How wonderful it would be if the two of them could walk on deck, like Jack and Rose, hand in hand.

"Elizabeth, are you all right?" She heard Jasper called her. She turned to see him standing beside her, worry evident in his eyes as he carried a silver tray in his hands, food on it. "Yes." Elizabeth smiled at him, wiping away the tear with the back of her hand.

"It's nothing fancy but I brought you some sandwiches and warm tea. I do hope it's enough. It's all the cook would let me steal." Jasper sighed. "It's perfect." She pat the seat next to her. He looked around to make sure they were alone before he sat, sliding the tray onto her lap.

Jasper watched as she ate her sandwiches, one by one. "Do you want one? You look hungry." Elizabeth frowned at him. "It's okay, Elizabeth. I can wait." He half-smiled. "Nonsense. Just take one!" She shoved one in his hands. She could tell he was famished as he quickly ate it.

"I know this is a bad time to ask but...how are you? Since the sinking." Jasper asked cautiously. "Not so fine. I lost my dad and the man I loved. He was an officer." She said, her smile faded. "Who...who was the officer?" He asked again. "Sixth Officer James Moody." She bit her lip, refraining from crying. "You can cry on my shoulder if you want." Jasper offered.

Elizabeth leaned her head on his shoulder and sniffled as she started to cry. It didn't take much effort. All she needed to do was to think of Jim and her dad and the tears came naturally. "That...that wasn't even the worst part. He wrote me a note, telling me that he...he didn't want to leave." She leaned into him even more. Jasper wrapped his arm around the vulnerable girl.

"He shouldn't have left you." Jasper muttered. "I really wish he didn't." Elizabeth whispered sadly.

- Clara -

- 9.25 pm -

"Clary? Dear?" Harry said softly, shaking the blonde's shoulder gently. "Mmm..." Clara slowly awoke from her sleep. "Hello. Have a good sleep?" He smiled widely at her. She couldn't help but smile back because his grin was so adorable. She nodded her head. "What time is it?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. "Close to half past 9 at night. You really slept for a long time..." He sat down next to her.

"Are you hungry?" Harry asked again after there was silence. Clara was about to open her mouth to say no when her stomach started to grumble. She blushed as he chuckled. "I figured. Come on, let's head to the mess hall. I explored the ship a little while you were asleep. Apparently there's a separate mess hall for the survivors that the captain kindly arranged for." Harry stood up and offered a hand to help Clara up, which she took. "We're finding Liz after dinner, right?" Clara asked.

"Absolutely." Harry grinned before he led her out of the room.

- Elizabeth -

- 11.15 pm -

"Well, it was fun talking to you. It's pretty late, I'm assuming, so...good night." Elizabeth gave Jasper a small smile. As she stood up, he followed. "Do you...do you want me to escort you back?" He asked her as she turned back to look at him. "No thank you. I'll be visiting someone. Have a good night, Jasper." She gave him a little kiss on the cheek before she walked off, leaving Jasper in a state of shock after the kiss.

Elizabeth took the piece of paper Rose had given her earlier out and made her way to the second-class stateroom. She knocked on the door and waited outside for a little less than a minute before Rose appeared at the door, pleasantly surprised to see her. "Elizabeth! Come in!" The redhead smiled and moved over to let her in.

Upon stepping into the room, she saw Jack look up at her as he sat on the bed. "Hey Liz." He smiled at her. She smiled back and Rose came and stood next to her. "Let's take a seat, shall we?" Rose grinned at Elizabeth who nodded, as the girls took a seat on the couch directly opposite the bed.

"I'm sorry I'm bothering you two so late at night." Elizabeth spoke up, biting her bottom lip nervously. "Come on, don't say that." Rose frowned, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah. We love your company." Jack added. "I just...don't feel like going back to my stateroom." Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "Well, Jack and I wouldn't mind if you stayed with us until the ship docked." Rose smiled at the brunette. Jack was a little disappointed that he and Rose couldn't have as much 'alone time' as he wanted but he understood that Elizabeth was going through a rough time so he sympathised with her and didn't blame her.

"Thank you so much. Also, I have a tiny request. If Harold Lowe, Titanic's fifth officer or my maid asks about me, you two don't know a thing." Elizabeth said seriously. A silence hung in the air until the blonde broke it.

"Well, it is pretty late now, so if you'll excuse me ladies." Jack stood in front of the two girls and made a gesture for them to move from the couch, which they did. Jack laid down on the couch and made himself comfortable. "You two can share the bed. I'll be right here." He smiled at them.

"I...I couldn't possibly...I'll take the couch." Elizabeth frowned. "It's all right. I'm kinda comfortable right now." He flashed her a reassuring grin. Elizabeth sighed. There was no way anyone would be comfortable in that position. Jack was obviously too tall for the couch, his legs hanging off one of the arm rests and his head barely resting on the other. Elizabeth was about to argue again when Rose put a hand on her shoulder. "Elizabeth, it's all right. I'll make up for it when we dock." Rose smirked at Jack who smiled back suggestively.

"Well, you two can stare at each other all night. I'm going to bed. Thank you two again for your hospitality." Elizabeth grinned at them before she laid in the bed, facing the wall as she slowly drifted to sleep.

- Clara -

- 10.45 pm -

Clara and Harry laughed at a lame joke he just told as they walked into the infirmary. They lowered their volume as the lights were switch off, so they assumed that it was lights out for the patients to rest. Clara led the way to the end of the room, where Elizabeth was. Or rather, where she was supposed to be.

"Liz?" Clara whispered. When there was no response, she went to the side of the bed and gasped when she found out that the bed was empty. "Harry! She's gone!" She said softly but urgently.

**DUN DUN DUN ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! Haha, you guys must really hate me :)If you want the next chapter, REVIEW!**

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to May, the Guest, alexandriakailynxx, kate and rebeccajoleneaumanwilson for your reviews!****  
********  
May : Your reviews never fail to make me cry :( You are seriously one of my best readers! Thank you so much for reading into all the hidden meanings in the story and for your never ending support and your wonderful reviews! Merry Christmas! **

******Guest : Aww! Thank you for that amazing compliment! Merry Christmas to you! :)**

******alexandriakailynxx : Thank you for your review! I was hoping that the readers would see how much pain and hurt she was going through so thank you for re-assuring me! Merry Christmas!**

******kate : Thank you for your review! And as for Jim...I have something in store for that :)**

**rebeccajoleneaumanwilson : Thanks for your tears xD You showed it to your college professor?! AND SHE LOVED IT?! WHAT!? OMG! Thank you for that honour and your reviews! Merry Christmas!**

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D  
Merry Christmas to all!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! So...the last chapter only got 2 reviews :( Come on everyone! We can do better than that :D Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 16 April 1912! **

- Elizabeth -

- 10.50 am -

Elizabeth slowly awoke from her sleep. She didn't notice before but the room had a single window which was the main source of light in the cabin. She sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. The door suddenly swung open and in walked a very flustered Rose with a nervous Jack who followed behind her.

"Is something the matter, Rose?" Elizabeth asked anxiously. Rose's head snapped to her. "Oh good, you're awake." The redhead went over to sit next to her on the edge of the bed as she held her hands. "I bumped into your maid in the hallway and she was very upset! She asked about you frantically and she looked as if she hadn't slept at all!" Rose said hastily, furrowing her brows.

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. No matter how much she envied Clara and was angry at her, she was still very much concerned about her well-being. Nevertheless, she managed to compose herself a little. "Did...did you tell her where I was?" She continued, a little guilty.

Rose shook her head. "Why are you hiding from her anyway?" She asked. Elizabeth sighed. She'd have to tell Rose the truth. And Jack as well, since he was already seated opposite them on the couch he had claimed the previous night.

"My father and the man I fell in love with on the Titanic," Elizabeth started. "Officer James Moody." Rose added, eyes wide in eagerness. "Officer James Moody," The brunette nodded. "died in the sinking. I guess I am just really envious that...while James died, the man she loved survived. It's just that...she has everything! And I'm...reduced to nothing." Tears started to stream down Elizabeth's cheeks. She was not normally this emotional, but after all those depressing events, tears seemed to come so naturally.

Rose leaned forward and gave Elizabeth a big and tight hug, letting the older girl cry on her shoulder. "I am so, so sorry Elizabeth. No one deserves to go through what you have." She stroked her hair in a bid to comfort her. "You know, I saw Mr. Andrews a little before the ship sank."

"You did?" Elizabeth's head shot up, momentarily stopping her crying. "Well...yes. Jack and I saw him standing in the first-class smoking room, looking up at the painting hung on top of the fireplace with his pocket watch in his hands." Rose explained. Elizabeth nodded, a signal for her to continue. "I asked him if he was planning to make a try for it. But...he sent us away with his good luck and his lifebelt."

Elizabeth smiled to herself and briefly closed her eyes. "So like him." She muttered to herself. "So, are you planning to leave this cabin, anytime before we reach New York?" Jack asked. Elizabeth looked at him sadly and shook her head. "Most probably not. I hope you two don't mind..."

"Of course we don't. I'm sure everything will work themselves out." Rose tried to give her a comforting smile but it didn't really work. "Oh yes! You must be hungry. I'll go get a steward to bring you something to eat." Rose patted her shoulder lightly before leaving the room.

It was quiet until Jack spoke. "You do know you can't hide from them forever, right? I mean, it is a ship." He said, as a matter of fact. "I know. But it's a few more days. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid them, at least until the Carpathia docks." Elizabeth said with a certain extent of resolute. Jack nodded his head slowly and they remained silent until Rose returned.

- Harry -

- 1.10 pm -

Harry had been wandering around the Carpathia for almost half an hour, not just searching for Elizabeth but trying to find Clara to get her to take a break. She barely had any sleep the previous night and had been looking high and low for Elizabeth. They even enlisted the help of the Carpathia officers and of course, the Titanic officers, to keep an eye out for Elizabeth.

He was up on deck walking about when he saw someone sleeping on one of the benches. He smiled as he recognised her immediately. He quickly but calmly walked over to her and leaned down. He shook her shoulder lightly. "Clary dear? Dear, please wake up." He said in a soft voice.

Clara slowly opened her eyes to see Harry smiling at her. "W...what? Oh. I fell asleep again." He helped her up onto her feet. "Come on now, let's get you back to the room."

"W...wait! I haven't found Liz yet." She was groggy but used up all her energy to speak. "Dear, you can barely stand still without leaning on me and you haven't even had anything to eat since dinner last night." Harry tried to reason with her. "Just let me...lean against you for a little while." Clara moved so that now she was in his embrace as she quickly drifted off to sleep, her head on his chest and her hands on his shoulders.

Harry chuckled to himself before he lifted her up bridal style. She stirred a little before going back to sleep, snuggling up against the officer. He ignored the weird looks people threw at him and walked back to the room. After fumbling with the keys for quite a while, he finally got them in as he laid Clara down on the bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead before he left again to get her something to eat.

- Elizabeth -

- 3.30 pm -

Elizabeth and Rose were in their room, chatting while Jack was out, most probably leaving them alone to spend some 'girl time' together, as he said earlier.

"...speaking of which, I need another favour." Elizabeth said to Rose, now serious. "Anything." Rose gave her one of her charming smiles. "I need to get my purse and coat from my stateroom. Only problem is-" "is that your maid and the officer are there so you can't go undetected." The redhead finished.

Elizabeth nodded. "Even if I was able to get them away, you don't have the keys to get into the room." Rose said, frowning. "Let me worry about the keys." She smiled, thinking of an idea.

- Rose -

- 5.30 pm -

"Come on, walk faster!" Rose whispered sharply to Jack, who she was pulling by the wrist as the couple made their way to Elizabeth's former stateroom. "Uh, remind me again why we are doing this?" Jack said, completely clueless. When he came back from his walk, he was immediately pulled back out by Rose. Something about dinner.

"We're giving Elizabeth enough time to go in and get her belongings. SHUSH! There they are." Rose said quickly before picking up the pace, almost making Jack fall down. "Clara?" She said in a totally different tone of voice. "Miss Rose!" The blonde maid slowly remembered. "Oh, it is you." She hugged the confused maid who just hugged her back. "Thank God you made it out alive." Rose sighed.

"You too. And...Jack." Clara half-heartedly smiled. Harry just stood behind her, smiling politely. "How about the four of us go to dinner together?" Rose suggested enthusiastically. Clara opened her mouth to reject the offer but Harry beat her to it. "Dinner, sounds lovely. Lead the way." He moved aside to let Jack and Rose go in front, as Clara elbowed him in the gut, frowning at him as she followed behind them. Harry knew that if Clara were to pass this dinner offer up, he could forget about coaxing her to eat for the next few meals that followed.

- Jasper -

- 5.30 pm -

"How did I let you talk me into this..." He mumbled to himself. Elizabeth shushed him as she watched cautiously from a corner, waiting for Jack and Rose to bring Clara and Harry away. About half an hour earlier, Elizabeth had sought Jasper out. She eventually managed to persuade him to follow her and retrieve her things. When he asked her why she could not do it herself, she claimed that she needed the keys to the stateroom. Jasper knew he couldn't say no to her.

So there he was, crouching behind Elizabeth, waiting for Clara and Harry to leave the room. At every single sound he maid, she smacked him on the shoulder. And for a girl, she hit him really hard.

"They're going!" She hissed. 'Finally.' He thought to himself as Elizabeth stood up straight, so quickly that the top of her head hit his chin. "Oww..." She whispered, not wanting to attract attention. Jasper was in pain as well but he sucked it up ( A/N : is this considered vulgar? ) and cared first about her well-being. "Are you all right?" He asked softly, gently rubbing her head.

"Fine, thanks." Elizabeth gave him a quick smile before she waved her hand, gesturing for Jasper to follow her as she made her way out into the hallway, stopping in front of the stateroom. "Hurry." The steward took out his bunch of keys and his nimble fingers got to work, trying each key, but failing every time. Elizabeth kept watch and tried to be patient, but the tapping of her feet on the ground was unnerving, especially to Jasper.

Eventually, after close to ten minutes of experimenting, he finally got the door open and Elizabeth ran in, heading straight for the bedroom. Jasper waited at the entrance, keeping watch until Elizabeth was ready with her things.

- Rose -

- 5.40 pm -

Rose had been keeping the conversation going for roughly about ten minutes and was tired after a while, seeing as she didn't know Clara and Harry well, she had nothing much to say. She turned around once more to try and facilitate conversation but only saw Harry. "Harold ( she learnt his name during conversation ) , where's Clara?" She was a little flustered but hid it very well.

"Oh, she went back to the stateroom. She forgot to bring out her coat." He answered, giving the couple in front of him an innocent smile. "O...oh. Should we wait for her?" Jack asked. "No, it's all right. I'm sure she can find her way." Harry gestured for them to continue walking, which they did, but they were worried. Worried that Elizabeth would get caught.

- Jasper -

- 5.45 pm -

Jasper was getting very anxious. 'Why is she taking so long?' He kept asking himself. He looked to both sides of the corridor and he gulped when he saw Clara, her gaze downcast. He almost jumped into the room and quietly shut the door, remembering to lock it and he ran into the bedroom.

"You're supposed to be keeping watch, Jasper." Elizabeth sighed, as she gathered her belongings together. "She's walking here." He blurted out. Their heads both shot to the door as they heard the sound of a key unlocking it. They both gasped.

**Okay, I really LOVE putting cliffhangers! I don't even know why :)**

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to Chloe and rebeccajoleneaumanwilson for your reviews!**

******Chloe : Haha! Thank you for your review! :D**

**rebeccajoleneaumanwilson : WOW OMG REALLY?! You're showing my story? :D That is so nice to hear! I'd love to hear more about it! If you ever feel like it, PM me! Thank you so much for your review and I hope your class loves your program!**

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D**


	18. Chapter 18

**Happy New Year guys! Hope that 2014 will be kind to you! I wanted to get this chapter up for you guys as a 'New Year Present'! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is STILL 16 April 1912! I know that I'm spending a lot of time on the RMS Carpathia but I wanted to show what happened on board because I realised that many other stories cut most of it out :( ENJOY!**

- Elizabeth -

- 5.48 pm -

Elizabeth grabbed Jasper's arm and dragged him down with her, so that they were both under the bed. He was about to yelp in pain as his head hit the bottom of the bed but Elizabeth quickly cupped a hand over his mouth to block out the sound. They watched with their hearts in their mouths as Clara came into the room.

- Clara -

Clara sighed. She was so tired looking for Elizabeth that she forgot to even bring out her coat. She trudged her way to the bedroom. She found it weird that Elizabeth's purse and coat were not where she had put them earlier but she came to the conclusion that Harry either moved them away or she was just so exhausted she was seeing things. Clara grabbed her own jacket off the coat hanger and as she was about to leave the room, she heard the sound of a slap.

- Elizabeth -

Jasper, from beside her, was about to sneeze, since the area under the bed was so dusty. Elizabeth knew that if Clara heard the sneeze, they would be found out so she slapped her hand over Jasper's nose and mouth, effectively blocking out the sound of the sneeze. But, her slap was a little louder than she had expected and saw Clara's feet shuffle, turning around to face the bed. Her heart started to beat at the speed of light.

- Clara -

Clara looked around, trying to find out where the sound came from. She got down on her knees and was about to look under the bed when she heard a knock on the door. She debated with herself whether or not she could pursue the sound or just answer the door. She decided that she would go see who was at the door as the person on the other side rapped at the door a couple more times, a little impatiently.

She opened the door and saw Rose standing there, a little jumpy. "Hey, Clara, I was wondering what took you so long." The redhead smiled at her. "Well, I'm ready to go now." Clara returned her smile. "Wonderful, shall we?" Rose hooked her arm with Clara and they both walked off after she finished locking up the suite.

- Rose -

- 5.45 pm -

Jack and Rose were leading Harry down the corridors when Rose spoke up. "Clara is taking such a long time, I'll go see what she's doing." She laughed before walking back down the hallway. Harry looked at Jack in puzzlement but Jack merely shrugged his shoulders and the two men continued down the ship, making conversation.

- Elizabeth & Jasper -

- 6.00 pm -

When she heard the door lock, she heaved a sigh of relief and rolled out from under the bed. Jasper soon followed. The first thing she did was walk over to Jasper and slap him hard on the shoulder. "Oww! What was that for?" He hissed in pain. "We almost got caught because of you." She rolled her eyes and went to her coat, putting her purse in one of the pockets. Once she was sure she had all her belongings, Elizabeth and Jasper left the room as they first found it and walked down the hall like nothing had ever happened.

"What do you want to do now? Do you want me to escort you back to your stateroom?" Jasper asked Elizabeth. "Yes please. But I would like some dinner in my room after." She gave him a half-smile. The journey back to the room was silent, but a comfortable silence.

Jasper eventually walked her to her room and left for the kitchen to get Elizabeth something to eat since she was hungry. When Elizabeth got back, she sat down on her bed. She took out the notebook. She sat there and stared at the black book for quite some time before she grabbed a pen from the table nearby and opened it up to a fresh page.

_16 April 1912, 6.05 pm_

_I am now on board the RMS Carpathia. I am currently sharing a room with two of my friends, Jack and Rose. I haven't seen Clara or Harry so far since I've been avoiding them but I hope they're doing much better than I am. I miss Jim and daddy so much. Where do I go from here? When this ship docks at New York, what then? I've lost both my parents and the love of my life. To be honest, I've thought of jumping off the ship but I don't even have the courage to. Sure, I have my father's fortune since he's passed on and the jewellery I have on hand now, but that can only last for so long. I don't see who would want to hire someone like me, should I choose to get a job._

_But on a happier note, I've made a new friend on the Carpathia. He is a steward named Jasper Bennett. He seems really nice. He's very formal when he speaks, though. He's nothing like Jim though. No one can ever be like Jim. What I would give to have him here with me right now._

_Always Faithful,  
Elizabeth Andrews_

Elizabeth frowned when she saw what she had written. She closed the book and put it aside and took out from the purse the stack of photographs she had developed on the Titanic. Will, Lights, Herb, Joe, Harry, Jim and Jack ( the Marconi operator ). She took pictures with every single one of them. In her haste to lock herself up in her room, she didn't even bother to check which of her new-found friends had survived.

She reminded herself to ask Jasper for the list of survivors when he came back. He seemed a little uneasy about her request and kept trying to change the subject until Elizabeth insisted on it, making him swear to bring it to her. Until then, she decided that she would look through the photographs again, and remind herself of the better times.

- Rose -

- 6.45 pm -

Jack and Rose were walking back to their room after a fairly uneventful dinner with Clara and Harry. Jack held her hand tightly and she smiled, thinking of how fortunate she was to have him there with her. "What's on your mind?" He asked, when he saw her suddenly smile.

"I was just thinking how lucky I was to have you." Rose laughed to herself. Jack smiled as well. "I'm lucky too." He said, giving her hand a little squeeze.

Rose unlocked the door and opened it to see Elizabeth there, eating dinner silently by herself. "Hey Elizabeth." Jack said, cheerfully. "Hello Jack, Rose." She smiled a little to them and continued to eat. Jasper would be back a little later with the list and to collect her tray of plates.

"You and Jasper weren't very quiet, you know." Rose said as Jack and herself sat down on the couch opposite Elizabeth. "How did you know about that?" She gasped. "Clara told me she heard a sneeze while she was getting her coat from her room." Rose explained. "Thank God. She didn't suspect anything, did she?" Elizabeth was a little relieved. "She didn't. She merely blamed it on how tired she was."

"How...how are they?" Elizabeth asked, biting her lower lip. "They're fine. Utterly exhausted, but fine. They're really desperate to find you, you know." Elizabeth frowned when Rose said this. "No. I can't let them find me." Elizabeth shook her head.

"Well, that's really up to you." Rose said with disappointment in her voice. "Now, Jack, let's go off and...explore the ship." She said suggestively. Apparently it was an inside joke kind of thing because Elizabeth didn't understand when Jack chuckled to himself before leading Rose out of the room.

Elizabeth was left alone again.

- Clara -

- 8.15 pm -

Harry eventually had been able to convince Clara to go back to the room with him. Clara unlocked the door and Harry took this time to look at her face properly. Her once youthful face was worn down by fatigue and a serious lack of sleep. There were subtle dark rings under her eyes and not very obvious pimples slowly popping up on her face. Her skin also lost its healthy glow. It hurt him to see her like this.

The door was open and they both went in. As Clara locked the door, Harry hugged her from behind, planting little kisses on her neck. "Yes, Harry?" She sighed. "I love you." He mumbled. Clara smiled tiredly. "I love you too." She turned and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she broke out of his embrace, moving to the bathroom to run the water so that she could soak in the warm water later.

Clara sat at the edge of the bathtub, running her fingers along the warm water. "Do you need me to rub your shoulders?" Harry asked, leaning against the door frame. Clara smiled. "That'd be lovely. But...I'd need to throw in some bubbles in the tub." He chuckled before moving to the medicine cabinet, taking out some soap. He passed it to Clara who did the necessary and turned off the tap.

"You know you'll have to turn around, right darling?" She said. Harry laughed. "I'll leave the room. Call me when you're in." He left, half-closing the door behind him. Clara then re-tied her hair up in her usual bun and stripped down to nothing before climbing into the bathtub, sighing as she leaned back, enjoying the water. "I'm in!" She said loudly, eyes closed.

Clara heard the door open again and she smiled. Harry walked in, cap and coat off as he placed a stool he took from the living area and placed it behind the bathtub, sitting down. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he sat upright and started to rub her sore shoulders.

Clara almost fell asleep, she was so comfortable. She leaned into his touch and Harry smiled to himself when he saw how peaceful she looked.

After fifteen minutes of relaxing massage, Harry bent forward and kissed her on the lips. She giggled when she almost fell into the water and broke apart as their foreheads touched. "Thank you." Clara smiled at the officer and kissed him once more before he left the bathroom, letting her actually take the shower she came back to the room for.

- Elizabeth -

- 7.50 pm -

Elizabeth was still sitting on the bed, admiring the pocket watch Jim gave her when there was a knock at the door. She smiled when she opened the door to see Jasper standing there. "Come in." She moved to let him enter the room and locked it behind her.

Jasper sat on the couch and Elizabeth went over to join him. For some reason, he looked nervous about something. "Are you all right, Jasper? You seem a little..." she tapped his shoulder and he jumped up in shock "...jittery." Jasper then broke out into awkward laughter. "Not...not to worry Elizabeth. I'm perfectly fine." He smiled at her.

"You know I care for you right?" Elizabeth put a comforting arm around his shoulders. "I...I care for you too." He said uncomfortably. Elizabeth saw the clipboard in his hands and took it from him. She first checked the list of passengers who survived.

She first checked if her aunt Augustine had survived and unsurprisingly, she did. She saw that Ruth DeWitt Bukater and Molly Brown had also survived. She wondered why Rose's name wasn't there but smiled when she saw _'Rose Dawson'_. She was appalled when she saw that J Bruce Ismay had survived.

Elizabeth moved onto the list of crew members who had survived and Jasper held his breath, waiting for her to find out the secret that he had been hiding.

- Clara -

- 8.40 pm -

Clara opened the door and got out of the bathroom to see Harry sitting on the bed with his cap, overcoat and tie off. They smiled when they saw each other. About ten minutes ago when Clara was still in the bathtub, Harry suggested that they go and visit the other officers. Clara reluctantly agreed.

"Are you ready?" She asked. Harry nodded his head and took her hand as the couple left the room, remembering to lock it up. The officers of the Carpathia shared each other's cabins so that each of the officers could have their own individual rooms, with the exception of Harry who decided that he would bunk in with Clara, and Elizabeth if she would return.

They made their way to the Charles' room and knocked. The door opened a few seconds later to reveal Charles. "Harry, Clara!" He grinned widely at them and moved aside to let them in. It turned out that both Herbert and Joseph ( the third and fourth officers ) were there in his cabin as well. Jim was there as well, but he was lying on the bed and he looked extremely exhausted.

"How have you two been?" Charles asked as Harry and Clara joined the other two officers on the floor.

- Elizabeth -

- 7.55 pm -

Elizabeth looked down the list, checking first for her two friends, the wireless operators Harold and Jack. Harold had made it but unfortunately, Jack did not. She looked further down the list and her eyes stopped when she saw one particular name.

_Sixth Officer James Paul Moody_.

"W...What?" Her mouth was open and she couldn't wrap her head around the idea of Jim alive. Her Jim. Alive. On that ship right that second. "Jas...What...I." She was incredibly speechless as she read the name over and over again.

"All right, that's enough." Jasper hurriedly took the clipboard from her and put it on the empty space next to him. A silence followed. "Why didn't you tell me? And you'd better have a fucking good reason for this." Elizabeth asked, hurt evident in her voice. Jasper kept quiet, unsure of what excuse to cough up. "He...he was my everything." She frowned.

"He wasn't right for you." Jasper said coldly. "Who are you to tell me who's right for me and who's not?" Elizabeth scoffed. "You...you were so miserable because of him." He explained. "I wouldn't have been if you told me that he'd survived from the start!"

"Aren't I enough for you?" He suddenly asked, looking her in the eyes. "W...What?" She was taken aback by his question.

"Aren't I enough for you? You've been so happy with me, you were at the point of leaving him behind." He spoke with more anger in his voice.

"So you hid the fact that you knew he was alive...because you thought I had feelings for you?" Elizabeth asked incredulously.

"I'm better for you than he is or was or ever will be. He's just a junior officer, he couldn't provide you with the life you are used to or the life that you deserve." Jasper raised his voice, turning his back to her.

"And you can? I'm sorry to say this, Jasper, but you're not that loaded yourself!" She scoffed at him, folding her arms.

"On the contrary, Elizabeth. My family is one of the richest in all of England." He turned, smirking at her. "What are you even talking about Jasper? You're a steward. There's no way you're telling the truth." She stared at him with a deadpanned expression.

"The Bennetts are a well-known family. Surely you've heard of my father, Edward Bennett." He explained.

"Y...your father is Edward Bennett? If so, then...then why are you working as a steward? Surely your father could supply you will enough money to last you for a lifetime without working." Elizabeth asked. She now knew why he looked so familiar. She had probably met him in a function or dinner before but just did not remember him.

"I was tired of the life I lived. People loving me for my fortune and fame. My father was open to letting me do what I wanted, since my older brother Jude took over the family business. All I had to promise him was hide the fact that I was his son as long as I kept these...odd jobs." He told her.

Elizabeth didn't know how to respond so she bit her bottom lip and looked down at her feet.

"But you..." Jasper walked over and raised her chin with a finger so that she was now looking at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "You are unlike the others. You didn't know who I really was and yet you treated me like an equal. You even said that you cared for me. No one has ever said that to me. Not even my own parents. It has always been 'I like you Jasper' or 'You are all I need'. But no one ever cared for me." He moved closer still.

"That...is why I love you so much." Jasper whispered as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. At first, Elizabeth wasn't able to register what he was doing. When she did, she pushed him away, wiping her lips with the sleeve of her dress.

"It still doesn't change the fact that you hid such information from me." Elizabeth closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Well, I think it's high time you left." She quickly wiped it away.

"Elizabeth...sweetheart..." He moved closer to her, trying to hug her but she quickly moved away. "NO! You...you don't get to call me that." That stung her. That was what her father used to call her.

Elizabeth grabbed his clipboard and opened the door, tossing it out. "Your turn." She glared at him. He tried to kiss her again but she took his collar in her hands and threw him out roughly. "Stay out." She spat at him before slamming the door in his face.

She turned and started to burst into furious tears. She punched the door until her knuckles turned red and slumped down against it, holding her head in her hands. Elizabeth needed to find Clara and apologise. She realised that Clara was just trying to be a good friend and cheer her up, unlike Jasper. Making a move when he knew she was in the midst of getting over Jim and even worse, knowing that Jim was alive and didn't tell her. She assumed that Clara didn't tell her because she kept pushing her away. She opened the door and ran until she reached their stateroom, banging loudly on the door. "C...Clara? Clary? Clary!" She shrieked, slamming at the door.

Suddenly, there was an hand on her arm. Elizabeth turned to see a steward looking at her with worry evident in his eyes. "Miss, are you all right?" He asked, concerned. "I suppose. I'm sorry for the ruckus." She then sped past him, running back to her own room. She stayed there for the rest of the night, alone, cold and sobbing herself to sleep, thinking that her own best friend didn't even want anything to do with her anymore.

- Clara -

- 10.15 pm -

The officers and Clara had been trying to steer clear of topics that had to do with the sinking but alas, Clara needed answers and could not hold in her questions for Jim any longer.

"Jim? " Now all eyes were on Clara, who had been quiet for quite some time. "Why did you write Elizabeth that note?" She asked. His smile slowly faded and he looked down at his fingers.

"I wanted to make sure that she would move on and be strong after I was gone." He explained.

"Because of that one note, she's gone missing on this damn ship. And I know you couldn't have visited us or anything, because of your leg, but I just feel that you shouldn't even have written her the note!" She cried out.

"What made you change your mind?" Harry asked from beside her.

Jim was quiet for a while, thinking back to that night.

_5 April 1912, 2.00 am_

_Jim continued to help lower the boats and stepped away only to catch a breath when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Thomas there, staring at him in disbelief. "Mr. Moody, what are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be on a boat?" The shipbuilder shook his shoulders, his other hand on his other shoulder. "I should be asking you the same thing, Mr. Andrews. Liz needs you." He answered._

_"My God James. The one my little girl ne1eds is you!" He cried out to him , not buying a word the sixth officer was saying. "To be very honest sir, every single time she's needed me, I've always let her down. I'm never there for her. Perhaps it's better if I-" Jim was cut off halfway by Thomas. "I am not letting you finish that sentence! I will never forgive you if you don't save yourself. Please, Mr. Moody, my Liz can't live without you." The man shed a few tears. In his eyes, Jim could see sadness and pain._

_"True, you may not be there when she needs you the most, but you're her beacon of hope. That little girl thinks the world of you. She truly believes that no matter what, she'll be alright so long as you're there. If you were to die here, tonight, on this ship, I can say without a doubt, that she would lose all will to live. So, James my boy, will you promise me that you will do your best, whatever it takes, no matter how tough or hard it is, you will survive?" He asked, smiling at him._

_"Yes sir." Jim answered, nodding his head in resolute, taking the older man's advice. "Thank you James. And please, take care of my little princess." The shipbuilder asked of the officer before disappearing back into the ship. At first, Jim stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do until a few passengers bumped into his shoulder, reminding him that he had a job to do._

"Mr. Andrews. He found me as I was working and explained to me why I had to survive. If not for him, for Elizabeth." Jim answered.

"I'm glad you know that." She said softly. The room was silent again.

Harry stood up first. "Well, we've had a long day, so I think we should turn in for the night." He helped Clara to stand up and the two of them were on their way after their goodbyes and hugs.

Clara didn't speak on the way back to their stateroom. Harry just held her hand quietly and let go only to let her unlock the door. The two of them changed into some donated night clothes and went over to the bed, out like a light once they laid down, wrapped in each other's arms.

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to Chloe, Anna and May for your reviews!****  
********  
Chloe : Haha! It's okay I appreciate all reviews! Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Chloe! I'm ecstatic to hear that my chapters make you happy. I also love that you like that I put so many cliffhangers! It was getting annoying to ME! xD **

**Anna : Thank you so much for your review Anna! I'm glad you're looking forward to the next chapter and that you are following this story! I'm also really happy that you like the characters! As for how you think it'll end... :)**

**May : Thank you so much for reviewing AGAIN May! I love your reviews! :D Having readers who really do see what each chapter and small action mean means so much to me. I'm so happy to see someone reading and enjoying my story so thoroughly! Thank you for your beautiful review! :3**

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D  
Happy New Year! Have a good 2014 and 'make it count'!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't been updating for like...a while. I overshot a day or two xD I've just started school and I really like this new subject I'm learning! Principles Of Accountancy ( POA ) Haha, just thought you might like to know what I've been up to!**

**Also, last Thursday evening, one of my beautiful readers, Rebecca (rebeccajoleneaumanwilson) got into a car accident and was injured pretty badly :( I hope you get well soon! This chapter is dedicated to you, even though I don't really know how to do dedications. Keep her in your prayers, guys! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 17 April 1912! ENJOY!**

- Elizabeth -

- 11.20 am -

Elizabeth had been sitting on her bed for almost half an hour, thinking about the good memories she had ever had with Clara. From the first day the two met, they became good friends. Every single stupid thing Elizabeth ever did, Clara didn't resent her for it. She was a very forgiving person, which made it even easier for Elizabeth to think that Clara had finally taken enough of her crap to realise that she didn't need to anymore. After all, Clara was a maid. She was paid to hang around the likes of Elizabeth. Maybe now that she was no longer going to be employed, she didn't need to put up with all of Elizabeth's antics.

She felt sick, lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling for too long so Elizabeth slipped out of bed and freshened up before leaving the room, seeing how both Jack and Rose were not in the cabin for her to talk to. She put her hair up in a casual bun and straightened the same dress she wore on the night of the sinking before walking out of the room.

- 11.40 am -

By this time, Elizabeth was wandering about on the deck. Most of the survivors had gone into the ship, memories of the sinking still haunting them. Seeing the ocean wasn't helping either. The other passengers were likely having lunch, therefore all indoors.

She walked and walked, no destination in particular and ended up at the bow of the ship. Elizabeth put her elbows on the railing and closed her eyes. The icy winds were making her shiver her teeth were chattering but she didn't move. In the cold, she did more thinking.

Elizabeth, was a strong girl. The only reason she had contemplated suicide was because she felt guilty. She could handle the death of her father and loss of her friend. She could even handle not seeing Jim anymore just because she had doubts that he would want to see her. After all, if he'd survived, there would obviously be a reason why he didn't immediately come looking for her.

She felt horrible that she wasn't wailing or spending every moment of her life after the sinking bawling about these events. Of course, people would tell her to move on but one would normally grieve about losing their loved ones so badly that they would never want to. I mean, that was the generic reaction, wasn't it? Elizabeth felt guilty for not missing her father as much as she 'should be'. Sure she spent hours crying about it but now, even if she willed herself to cry, she couldn't.

Elizabeth wondered, if she was being a terrible person by thinking like that. She also felt guilty for thinking about ending her life when thousands of others would have done just about anything to be in her position. To have survived the sinking. So many died trying to make it out alive, but here she was, wishing she was one of them, under the water.

She took a step up on the railing, using her hands to brace herself in case she fell over. She mulled over going back into the ship or falling overboard. No one would miss her should she choose the latter and she might even wash herself free of all the feelings of guilt. Another step up she took, eyes closed. She was afraid that if she were to open them, she would lose the courage to let go of the railing.

Elizabeth bit her lower lip, trying to hold back tears.

"ELIZABETH!" Someone shouted.

In a second, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her slim waist, pulling her down onto the floor. She shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the impact of the fall but she fell onto someone. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on top of none other than her dear friend, Charles Lightoller.

- Charles -

- 11.45 am -

Earlier that day, Charles and Herbert left their rooms to wander around the deck, taking in some fresh air and even keeping an eye out for Elizabeth. Joseph had volunteered to stay back to care for Jim and his recovering legs, and maybe even take him down to the mess hall to join Harry and Clara if he was well enough. They were walking towards the bow of the ship, laughing at a lame joke that Charles had just shared.

In the midst of laughing, Charles saw someone leaning over a railing. He squinted his eyes and saw her, recognizing her immediately when the wind blew her hair to one side, revealing her tear-streaked face.

"ELIZABETH!" He yelled out, running towards her at full speed, pulling her away from the railing.

- Elizabeth -

Elizabeth gasped and rolled off of Charles before placing his head on her lap as she knelt next to him, stroking his hair. "Are...are you all right, Lights?" She asked, her voice full of concern as Herbert knelt down opposite her as Charles' other side.

The second officer groaned in pain before slowly sitting up with the help of his two friends. Together, Elizabeth and Herbert helped him up and insisted on assisting him back to his temporary room, looping both his arms over their respective shoulders.

- 12.15 pm -

When the trio finally got to the room, they settled him on his bed, fluffing up his pillow so that he could sit upright. "Do you need me to fetch the doctor?" Elizabeth was about to stand up from where she sat on the edge of the bed when Charles pulled her back down. "No, no. That's quite all right. What I need is the reason as to why you were leaning over that railing."

Elizabeth looked down at her fiddling fingers and bit her lower lip. At this time, Herbert, who was at the door, looked at Charles. "Should I call the others?" He mouthed. Charles nodded and with a subtle hand gesture, sent the third officer off to go find the other officers. Hopefully, he would have the sense to find Jim as well.

"Lights..." She muttered, looking at him, hoping that he would not press her for the reason. "Liz." He looked back at her, placing a hand over hers.

"I...I felt hopeless. I thought that after the terrible way I behaved to Clara that she...that she didn't want anything to do with me anymore. I knocked on her door last night and she didn't open it. Furthermore, when I found out that Jim was still alive I...I just assumed that he didn't look for me because...because..." Elizabeth's eyes started to tear up and Lights leaned forward, engulfing her in a hug.

It took a while for her to respond but she eventually wrapped her arms around his neck and kept in her tears but she leaned into his embrace, frowning. Charles stroked her hair in a comforting manner and kissed the top of her head a couple of times.

Suddenly, the door behind them slammed open. Elizabeth slowly turned and the man, with his arms outstretched with either one up against each side of the door frame, was panting heavily as he looked straight at her. She shook her head slightly, turning her body to face him now.

"Liz..." The man almost fell down to his knees, barely managing to crawl over to her, placing his hands on her knees as he gazed up at her, relief and disbelief clear in his eyes, which had tears welling up in them. Elizabeth didn't know what to say, but stare at him with her mouth gaped.

"Liz!" He sobbed, his handsome face contorting, mouth resembling a rubber band as his shoulders jumped up and down. The sight tugged at her heartstrings and she could no longer contain her tears as she slid down onto the floor, capturing the man in a loving embrace. The two lovers knelt on the ground, hugging each other so tightly that they looked as if they would never let go.

- Herbert -

- 12.17 pm -

The third officer ran as fast as his legs would carry him to where he knew the other officers and Clara would be. The mess hall which was one or two decks down.

He delivered the good news and one of the men immediately jumped up and hobbled out of the room, his limping soon turning into a run. It hurt so bad that he wanted to cry out in pain but he clenched his fists, thinking about the woman he so loved, the thought of her making some of his pain vanish.

The rest of them jogged out of the room, eager to see their friend again.

- Clara -

- 12.20 pm -

When she had first heard the news from Herbert that he had found Elizabeth, she almost wanted to scream. She was so happy that she thought she might explode. Harry and herself ran up the decks, hand in hand and by the time they reached the door of the cabin, the other officers were crowding around the door, but made way when they saw Clara. The sight before her made her smile, and even shed a tear. Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him as a grin broke out on his face.

- Elizabeth -

She hugged him tightly as she cried furiously into his shoulder, as he did the same. Once they finally broke apart, she laughed and he soon joined her before he kissed her on the lips, passionately. She pulled away and placed a hand on his cheek, still laughing as she looked at the smile on his face.

Jim held her hands and together, they stood up, embracing each other once more.

"Argh!" Jim suddenly yelped in pain and fell on Elizabeth. Harry and Joseph immediately ran up to help him up. "Jim?! Darling what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, panicked. "My...leg..." He moaned. "I'll go fetch the doctor!" Herbert said before rushing off again.

Elizabeth followed Harry and Joseph as they helped Jim back to his own room. But by then, he had passed out as they laid him in his bed. They then stepped back, waiting outside of the room to let Elizabeth have a moment with him.

She was on the edge of his bed, hands holding his as she leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. Elizabeth sat there, looking at the man she loved as he laid on the bed peacefully.

Soon, there was a knock at the door and Herbert popped in, telling her that the doctor was here. Elizabeth decided to leave the doctor alone with Jim and went out of the cabin.

When she stepped out, the first person she saw was Clara, who looked at her sadly. Elizabeth walked forward and Clara met her halfway, arms open as she took her in for a hug. "I am so sorry Clary." She said softly. "It's all right, Liz. Just...don't go running off on me again, please." The maid smiled at her, pulling a little so that they could see each other's faces.

"You mean...you're not angry with the way I treated you?" Elizabeth asked, eyes wide. Clara started to laugh. "Of course not. You were going through a tough time." Elizabeth broke out into a smile and hugged her friend one more time before she released Clara to go back to Harry.

She then proceeded to embrace all the officers present. Charles, Herbert, Joseph and even Harry. The six friends then leaned against the railing a little ways away from the room as they waited for the doctor to come back out. "When we reach New York, can we all stay in touch?" Elizabeth asked, looking left and right at them. Charles was on her left and Herbert was on her right.

"Of course." Herbert smiled at her.

"It's...sad that Will didn't make it." Elizabeth bit her lower lip and stared down at her hands, resting on the railing. "Oh come on, don't be so depressed. Will wouldn't like that." Harry said in a cheerful tone to which Elizabeth smiled at.

"What are you guys planning to do when we get to New York?" She asked again.

"I'd probably send Sylvia a letter to tell her I'm all right. After all, we might not be able to leave New York right after we reach." Charles said. "I'm gonna send a letter to my parents and Mimi as well." Herbert beamed. "Who's Mimi?" Elizabeth asked.

"Mimi is Bert's girlfriend. Two aren't married yet though, even though there's nothing stopping them." Charles explained. Herbert just blushed a little and looked down at his feet.

There was silence until Joseph pulled his gaze away from the ocean and looked left and right, to see all eyes on him. "What?" He asked softly. "It's your turn. What're you planning to do when you reach New York?" Harry chuckled.

"Oh. Same as well, I would assume. Sending letters to my mom and dad." Joseph replied with a smile. "What? No 'girlfriend' to tease you about?" Elizabeth joked. Everyone laughed at that. "No. Not yet I guess." Joseph chuckled to himself.

"How about you two?" Charles asked, looking at Harry and Clara. "We're not sure yet. We'll see." Harry hugged Clara closer to him. The blonde just smiled. "How about you ,Liz?" Harry asked, throwing the question back at Elizabeth. "I...honestly have no clue. I'd probably have to at least visit my grandparents. I mean, that was the original plan. But I'll live each day as it comes." Elizabeth shrugged. After this, the six of them looked out at the open sea, quietly waiting for the doctor to come back out.

- 12.50 pm -

They heard the door creak open from behind them and Elizabeth was the first to run forth to the doctor. "Doctor, how is he?" She asked in a concerned tone of voice. "He's fine for now. He exerted too much pressure on his leg which was already recovering, I'm assuming from the sinking. He should be good to go when the ship docks, although in the meantime, he should remain in bed as much as he possibly can." The man explained to the six of them. After Charles thanked him, Elizabeth rushed inside.

She saw that he was still not awake and went to the edge of his bed, sitting down as she held his hand, smiling when she saw how at ease he looked in his sleep. The officers and her friend at the door decided that they would give the couple some privacy so they left for the mess hall since they didn't get to finish their meal.

Elizabeth sat there in silence, rubbing circles and patterns on the back of his hand using her thumb.

- 3.15 pm -

- Jim -

Jim had been awake for quite some time but didn't move when he realised that Elizabeth was sleeping on his chest. He smiled as he looked down at her, using one hand to stroke her long hair that had fallen out of its bun. He was about to fall asleep again when suddenly, Elizabeth stirred.

"Mhm...Jim?" She said, slowly opening her eyes. "Good morning, honey." He beamed at her. She returned his smile before looking around, remembering where she was. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to sleep on you." Elizabeth said as she quickly sat upright again, rubbing her eyes groggily. "It's all right. I didn't mind." Jim laughed.

Jim smiled at her and let it linger, not saying anything for a while. Slowly, his smile faded. "What's...what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked him, furrowing her brows in concern. "I think I owe you an apology and I guess I should tell you how I survived. I-" Elizabeth placed a finger against his lips. "I don't care how you survived. I just want to know why."

Jim let his hand rest on her cheek as she used her own hand to press it against her cheek. "I...I had to. Your dad came and found me after you left. He said some things to me that made me realise. I realised that...it wasn't fair to you to just give up like that. I realised that...I was afraid of never seeing you again. Afraid of forgetting the sound of your voice, your laugh, afraid of forgetting your smile...your face. I was afraid of forgetting you."

Elizabeth was frowning, on the brink of tears. "Hey now, don't cry." Jim laughed, but he too had tears in his eyes. She couldn't hold it in anymore and started to cry, biting her lower lip as she sobbed. Seeing her cry tore at his heart and his bright smile turned upside down. Jim cried as well. But he pulled Elizabeth up against him, and hugged her tightly. Elizabeth sobbed even more furiously as she grasped at his shirt.

"Please don't leave ever again." She whispered.

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to HermioneandMarcus, rebeccajoleneaumanwilson, Chloe, May, Anna and liz-04 for your reviews!****  
********  
HermioneandMarcus : Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad that people can't wait for this story's updates :D**

******rebeccajoleneaumanwilson : Thank you for your review! ( and your tears xD ) I sent you a PM in case you didn't know, wishing you my well wishes :)**

******Chloe : I'm glad you were in some suspense :D Tell me when you're writing a story! If it's a fandom I like, I'll DEFINITELY read it! Thank you for your review!**

******May : Your review made me feel happy that my idea of Carpathia time is accepted! Thank you so much for all your beloved, in-depth reviews! You are such a treasured reader you don't even know! :)**

******Anna : HAHA Good for you. Thank you for taking time off to leave a review! **

******liz-04 : It's cool that your middle name is Elizabeth! I have only one name and it's really weird. Like trust me, you don't wanna know. I hope you're looking forward to 'BIG plans' I'm having! Thank you for your review!**

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D  
Haha all y'all think it's all sunshine and roses now, do you? :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**HEY GUYS! So, I got a new computer :D Which means if the spacings for this chapter *get weird* I'm so sorry xD I've been having troubles keeping up with writing and my schoolwork so please bear with me if my chapters are shorter or I take longer to update. But I PROMISE you that I have a FULL PLAN for this story and it will be really long! So if you like long stories that never ever end, please stick with me~ Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys at the bottom of the chapter!**

**Just a friendly reminder, it is 17 April 1912! ENJOY!**

- Clara -

- 1.30 pm -

Clara and Harry had just finished their lunch and headed back to their room first, leaving the other officers in the mess hall. Lately, there wasn't much the pair talked about, but they enjoyed the silence. Well, Clara mostly did. It was in her nature not to talk unless spoken to and Harry just went along with it.

They sat on the couch together, cuddling up to one another. Clara snuggled up against him, but at the wrong place. Harry gulped and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and her beautiful pink lips were curled up in a smile. His eyes roamed further to the rest of her body and his mind trailed... He knew it was wrong to think of her like that without her consent but he just couldn't help it.

"I love you." Clara said softly and moved yet again, leaning up to kiss him. Harry was at his wits' end. He hadn't gone so long without a woman's touch he was going insane. He hugged her to him, further deepening the kiss. Clara was a little shocked at the amount of force he was using but brushed her concerns aside.

They were lip-locked for quite some time until Harry's hands started to wander. First gently running his hands up and down her outer thighs as he pushed her further onto the couch until she was almost on her back. She found it strange and felt a little uncomfortable but didn't think much of it as she uneasily continued to kiss him.

To her surprise, his hands suddenly pushed up her skirts and she immediately pulled away, pushing lightly against his chest as she looked away, her cheeks red. "H...Harry...I don't feel comfortable doing this."

"It's alright..." He said in a daze as he leaned back down, capturing her lips once again, this time fiercer. Clara lifted her arms to push him away again but Harry only clamped one of his hands down on both her wrists, overpowering her and preventing her from moving under him. He pinned her wrists above her head as he continued to shove his hand up her skirt , taking some effort since she was struggling so badly.

Just before he managed to move further, Clara bit down as hard as she could on his lower lip. Shocked by the pain, Harry let go of her wrists and with one swift movement, she slid out from his side and ran to the other corner of the room and to the fireplace where there was a vase of flowers.

"OW!" He yelled out, caressing his mouth as she pulled the flowers out, splashing the water in the vase in his face. He immediately looked up at her, the lust in his eyes slowly changing into guilt. "Clary..." Harry stood up, about to walk towards her when she leaned into the wall, hugging herself tightly. "D...don't. Just don't." She frowned at him. Her heart ached when she saw his bleeding lip but she willed herself to remain hurt and angry at him.

"I'm so, so sorry..." He shook his head, slowly walking towards her. "STAY THERE!" She yelled at him, on the brink of tears, her frown dipping further still. "I...I didn't mean to, Clary." Harry bit his lip but winced and chose to frown instead. "I...I think you should leave." Clara looked away, closing her eyes and letting a few tears roll down her cheek.

Harry wanted nothing more than to just run up to her and kiss all her tears away since his heart wrenched at the sight but he knew that it would only make it worse. Physically and mentally hurt, he walked towards the door and frowned at her once more before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Clara cried harder. She didn't want to be weak like this, crying over something like that but for some reason, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

- Jim -

- 3.45 pm -

Elizabeth eventually fell asleep in Jim's embrace. He kissed her forehead and leaned back against the bed frame, letting her rest on him. He closed his eyes as well. Slowly, she started to stir, awaking him from the slumber he almost fell into.

"Good morning sleepyhead." He smiled down at her. She smiled back up at him sleepily, leaning up to kiss the tip of his nose before getting off him, and leaving the bed. "It's so hot in here..." All this while, Elizabeth never really realised how many layers she had on and even though it was cold outside, the feeling was suffocating. She took off her coat and placed it neatly on a desk nearby and went to the other side of the bed.

As she was getting in, Jim grabbed her left wrist a little too roughly and she let out a cry of pain. "Liz? What happened to you?" He asked, concerned as he scooted over closer to her as she sat on the edge of the bed, cradling her arm close to her chest. "It's...it's nothing." She tried to discreetly pull down her sleeves to hide it but it was no use.

"Elizabeth, honey, please, tell me what's wrong..." Jim gently turned her around to face him. He looked at her with such concern and anxiety she couldn't help but tell him. "W...when you...when I first read your note, I assumed you didn't survive. So...I thought the worst in life and cut myself." Elizabeth bit her lip and turned away.

"Give me your hand." He said with a gentle tone as she timidly put her wrist in his open hand. Jim carefully opened up the bandage and she winced a couple of times. When he opened it, his heart sank. The stitches, although well done, pained him to look at, thinking of how much pain it was to have done this much harm to herself.

"All right, that's enough." She pulled her arm back to her chest protectively, looking down. "Why would you do something like that to yourself, Liz?" He asked her, hurt evident in his shaky voice. He used a finger to lift up her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I...I thought I would lose you forever. And that I had no more reason to live..." Elizabeth bit her lower lip and bit back tears, at the reminder of that dark day.

"I just wish you wouldn't have done what you did." Jim said blankly, frowning. "Well you didn't exactly give me a choice, did you?" She almost laughed sarcastically. "Harming yourself wasn't going to bring me back, even if I was gone." He looked at her with wide eyes. "So now it's my fault! Isn't it?" Elizabeth said exasperatedly, throwing up her hands lightly.

"I never said that!" He raised his voice just a little. "Yeah, God knows you're thinking it!" She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Did you even care what I might've felt when you decided you wanted to be 'Mr Noble' and go down with the ship?" She asked.

"I had a job to do, Liz." Jim was so desperate to explain himself, but knew that he didn't do wrong, at least not in his point of view. "You're right. You did have a job to do. And apparently, it's SO much more important than me." Elizabeth said spitefully, giving him a face as she slowly inched closer to the door. "Liz, don't be like that." He sighed.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" She yelled at him.

"Liz, please."

"SHUT UP!"

"Take it as I'm begging you..."

"I'M NOT HAVING IT ANYMORE!"

"Calm down Liz..."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! FUCK YOU!" She screamed at him and left the room, slamming the door behind her. She hardly ever got so mad and ever cussed with that word but she just had so much pent-up feelings she had to vent them somewhere. It wasn't that she was picking on Jim or anything. She did feel hurt that he didn't spare a thought for her feelings. With these heavy emotions, she sobbed furiously on the way back to the stateroom, ignoring anyone who tried to comfort her.

- Charles -

- 1.50 pm -

The second officer retired to his cabin straight after his lunch. It hadn't even been five minutes since he entered the room when there was a string of frantic knocks on his door. Charles sighed and walked over to the door and opened it, revealing a very nervous Harry fiddling with his fingers. The first thing he noticed was the blood dripping from his lips. "Bloody hell Harry! What happened?" He stepped aside to allow the younger man to enter his room.

"Jesus, I fucked up big time, Lights." Harry came in, holding his head in his hands, letting the blood drip down his chin. "What did you do?" Charles asked, closing the door behind him. "I...I almost..." He stammered, taking in quick breaths.

"Just calm down and tell me what happened." He sat next to Harry on the bed, holding out a cloth for him to wipe the blood off, which he graciously accepted. "I almost forced Clary into...it." He regretfully said. Charles was silent for a while, until Harry felt a whack on his head. "OW!" He yelled out in surprise, almost dropping the cloth onto the ground.

"Harold. There are many things you can do to a woman. But doing something like that just isn't right! Women are made to be loved and respected! Jesus Christ. And you just trampled over the poor thing." He reprimanded, scoffing as he looked away.

"I...I didn't mean to! I just...it's just that I've been abstaining so long...Okay, maybe that isn't the right word, but still! I just couldn't control myself." Harry said, completely flustered.

"So what are you planning to do now?" Charles asked quietly. "I...I honestly don't know." Charles had never seen Harry so distressed before so it threw him off a little, but he had been so used to comforting people that he just dealt with it.

"You have to apologise to her. Swear to never do anything like that ever again. And even if she doesn't take back your sorry arse, I won't blame the girl." He said honestly, now looking at Harry. Harry sighed for a while before going off to the doctor's office to get his lip checked out, but did not forget to thank his friend for the advice.

- Clara -

- 4.00 pm -

For the past few hours, Harry had not returned. Clara had taken a nap earlier that day but she now laid on the bed, staring at the wall with dried streaks of tears on her pale cheeks. What affected her the most was the way he handled her. So rough. So unloving. Whenever 'it' happened, or was going to happen, she expected the process to be slow, and special but definitely not a hundred percent lust and haste. It was all wrong.

Her wrists were sore and turning blue-black. Her lips were bruised and a little swollen from Harry's incessant kissing. It seemed as if the frown on her face was permanently glued on. She tried to fall asleep but even that did not work out so she settled for staring at the ceiling and hoping that the pain would go away, although it truthfully did not.

Clara suddenly heard a loud knock on the door. She contemplated on whether she should answer it or not but eventually got out after a few more raps. She opened the door and saw Elizabeth standing there, hugging herself tightly as she cried.

"Liz, what happened?" She asked in her most concerned voice. Clara was so hurt herself it was hard to care for another person but she tried her best. "Jim and I fought." She folded her arms over her chest, still letting the tears freely flow down her cheeks.

"Come on in and we'll talk about it." Clara and Elizabeth took a seat near the fireplace.

"I just can't believe him! That night of the sinking HE was the one who didn't give me a choice and drove me up the wall and just because it hurts him to see my arms like this, he blames me for it! I mean, can't he CLEARLY see it was all his fault?! Like if he-" Elizabeth paused her ranting when she saw Clara's injuries. "Heavens! What in the world happened to you Clary?!" She asked, jaw open as she took her wrists gently, almost examining her wounds.

"It's nothing." The maid pulled her arms away. "And your lips!" Elizabeth's hands moved up to touch her swollen pink lips, to which Clara swatted her hand away. "Just tell me what happened!" She was losing patience. First Jim, now Clara.

"Just leave me alone Liz!" Clara pleaded. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST TELL ME?!" Elizabeth yelled. "I...I just can't." Clara started to cry. "Oh, so now you're CRYING? Would that make a difference? Huh? Well I'm sorry but crying doesn't solve shit!" She spat. Clara then ran from her seat on the couch into the bedroom and locked the door behind her, curling up in a ball on the bed.

"You can't hide forever, little girl! Sooner or later you're gonna have to deal with it!" Elizabeth banged hard on the door before going back to the couch. She sat angry for a while, before pulling up her legs to her chest as she started to sob quietly.

- Charles -

- 3.00 pm -

Charles had gone out for a walk a little after Harry left the room. When he came back, he hung up his visor cap and went over to sit down on the bed. Charles took off his coat and reached into one of the pockets and took out a pocket sized black and white picture. His wife and children were all there with him as the happy family took a family portrait.

He smiled lovingly at them before he slowly felt his lips fall into a frown. Soon, he was shaking and trembling, crying. He had been so strong for others, Harry, Elizabeth, and even all the other officers at one point or another. But there was no one who was strong for him. Just looking at his wife, who was always there for him, he started to sob, dearly missing her more than ever.

The strong man finally broke down, missing his pillar of support. He would never ever show this vulnerable side of him to anyone else but his beloved wife, Sylvia.

He laid down on his bed, hugging the picture close to his chest, as he cried softly.

**I felt that there really wasn't much interaction with other officers in other stories so I felt the strong need to make the officers of the Titanic actually have a role in my story. Also, that last part on Charles I felt was really sad. I felt that there was a need to bring sort of a 'message' across using this xD (Bear with me) Sometimes, in life, we never truly understand what it's like for the person who is always there for everyone. We hardly ever see how under appreciated they are and sometimes, even they get tired and they need someone to be strong for them. So go up to anyone who has been there for you and give them a hug and thank them ^^**

**Now to thank those who left reviews! Thank you to VGFANFOREVER and Chloe for your reviews!**

******VGFANFOREVER : Thank you for commenting on Thomas! :D I too really wish I could've met the officers in person. Charles and Harold in particular. Although I read somewhere Harold was racist :/ I hope it's not true because I'm Asian xD I also hope I don't lose half of my readers now that y'all know/knew xD**

******Chloe : Thank you so much for your compliment. It really warmed my heart when you said that this was a well written story and that I was a good writer! If you need any help at all with your story, please feel free to PM me! I will be glad to help in anyway I can! (and I'm not lying) :D **

**To everyone else, I hope you all are enjoying the story as well! Have a nice day and review if you liked the chapter! :D  
**


End file.
